FROM THE COOKBOOK OF PHILIPPINE WELSER
»Vie man Lezelten bacht – Item nim Waitzen Mehl vnnd Hönig, das wol haiß ist, vnnd mach ain Taig, vnnd laß den taig wol khneten, das man den finger kaimb darein steckhe, vnnd mmach fladen die aines halben finger dickh werden, vnnd thue die in ain haffen, Nachdem Prats, vnd wan die Fladen schön praun werden, so nimb die wider aus dem Ofen, vnnd laß Sy erkhulen, so werden sy hort, Darnach laß die fladen stossen mit aim Stössl, auf aim schönen sauberen Tischthuch, zu klainen Stuckhlen, Darnach thus in die Stampff, das mans schön sauber pfeit. dor-nach nim wider honig, vnnd laß das wol wermen, das wol haiß ist, und geuß das ain, vnnd nim Aniß, vnnd Pfeffer ain Halb vierdung, Zimmet Rinden anderthalb lott, Nagelein gleich so viel, Muscar Nuß Ain lott, Ingwer drey oder vier Lott, willt Du des Taigs aber mehr haben, so muest Du aber mehr Gewurtz darein thun, magst den Taig wol versuchen wird Es dich dunckhen, das nicht genueg gestupfft oder gewurtzt sey magst dus woll verbessern, vnnd laß den Taig nit zu Gach mit den Mehl vberschitten, laß auch den Taig nit zu vast knetten, vnnd mach lezellten darauß, vnnd machs nit zu dinn Darnach thue die In den Offen, Nachdem Prat das der Offen nur nit zu haiß sey, du must gueten vleiß haben, damit Sy dir nit verprinnen, vnnd wan Sy praun werden so nimbß herrauß.«
TransCript
(How to bake gingerbread – Take some wheat flour and hot honey to make a dough; have it kneaded well [probably instructions for the kitchen staff], so it is firm to the touch. Form the dough into flat cakes about a finger high and place them in a pot. Bake them until they are golden brown; then take them out of the oven and let them cool down until they turn solid. Then use a pestle to finely crush the flat cakes on a clean tablecloth. Then heat more honey, pour it into the crushed crumbs, and add anise, half a quarter of pepper, one and a half lots of cinnamon bark, as many cloves, a lot of nutmeg, three or four lots of ginger; if you want more dough, you must use more spices; taste the dough and you will know whether it has been kneaded enough or needs more spices and can be improved. Do not have the dough covered in too much flour and do not have it kneaded too much. Then form new flat cakes, not too thin, and put them in the oven that should not be too hot. Make sure they do not burn; when they turn brown, take them out.)
What exactly is gingerbread?
Where does the name of this Christmas delicacy come from? Did the authors of Philippine’s cookbook resort to classic instructions or develop something new?
There actually is written evidence of baked goods similar to gingerbread back in Egypt in 350 BCE. Also the Romans added a layer of honey to their cakes, so they would last all year long. Recipes quite similar to Philippine Welser’s cookbook come from Dinant in today’s Belgium from the 12th century. Franconian monasteries introduced the honey cakes to Aachen, from where they spread across the entire German-speaking region until the sixteenth century. Gingerbread was often baked in monasteries and became the bread of hungry people, especially in winter, due to its high nutritional value and long shelf life.
The name of the German ‘Lebkuchen’ or ‘Lebzelten’ presumably derives from the Latin ‘libum’, meaning ‘flat bread’ or ‘sacrificial cake’. Gingerbread originally referred to preserved ginger, and later became the name of baked goods with honey and spices. Dating back to the sixteenth century, the term ‘Pfefferkuchen’ was also used for gingerbread, as in the Middle Ages all spices were generally called ‘pepper’. Among the characteristic spices were, as in Philippine Welser’s recipe, anise, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
Philippine Welser’s recipe is surprising nonetheless, as it first includes a pre-ferment made of flour and honey but without any spices. Once these very hard cakes are cooled down, they are finely crushed to create a kind of flour, which is once again mixed with honey and now spices. Careful baking leads to very sweet and delightfully soft gingerbread… Certainly an intriguing addition to any classic Christmas biscuit repertoire!