Pain d'épices - Honey Spice Loaf

Honey Spice Loaf(Pain dépices)

Offering a holiday loaf that needs to ‘cure’ for a week on Christmas Eve day can only come from a shiksa. Still, according to Julia, this French classic is enjoyed at New Year's. This will be perfect on New Year’s Day with some excellent quality butter and a hot cup of coffee or tea. What a perfect way to begin 2014! 

 

If you have leftover glacéed fruit, or if you find it in the bargain aisle at the supermarket after Christmas, here’s a perfect way to use it. If you have rye flour in your fridge or pantry, you’ll use it for this recipe. If you don’t have rye flour, you can try whole wheat, but it won’t be as compact. Here’s an excellent resource from Better Homes and Gardens that will teach you about flour, providing substitutions as well as how to measure it. Perhaps you have leftover “light rye” flour from the honey cake recipe from this past Rosh Hashanah? FYI: Bob’s Red Mill adds wheat gluten to their light rye flour, so it won’t be as dense. Seriously, rye flour shouldn’t be such a chore to find.

You’ll need ground almonds (almond meal/flour), also a product that is becoming much easier to find in every day supermarkets. You can grind your own if you have a Vitamix (you’ll need the dry grain container). Julia says you can use dark rum or bourbon. I sniff tested both and opted for rum. If you’re a bourbonite, substitute bourbon for rum.

Channel Julia whilst you bake – relax and have fun. Follow directions and be confident. You’re the boss.

Your home will smell glorious; and in a few days, you’ll slice into an aromatic 2014 with this gorgeous spice bread.

pain d'peace and love

and to those who are celebrating:

a very happy Christmas to you!

jane

Ready to be wrapped and put away for the week.

Pain d’épices

Honey Spice Loaf

Adapted from Julia Child’s “The Way to Cook” by Blue Heron Kitchen

Butter an 8-cup loaf pan, line with buttered parchment or wax paper; or several paper loaf pans (no need to butter these), or small individual loaf pans, sprayed with release or buttered.

Preheat oven to 325º F. and position rack in middle of oven.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups honey

1 cup granulated white sugar

¾ cup boiling water (boil more for rinsing the glacéed fruit)

½ tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. baking powder

3 ½ cups rye flour

(added to this basic ‘dough’)

2/3 cup almond flour (blanched almonds, ground)

1 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. anise extract

¼ cup rum

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground cloves         

½ tsp. ground mace

1 cup mixed glacéed fruits (diced and rinsed in boiling water)

Procedure:

You can do this by hand, but with an electric stand mixer, this is very quick and easy (use beater blade).

Cover glacéed fruit with boiling water briefly (you don’t want the fruit to absorb too much water) and drain. Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer (or in a large mixing bowl) beat together: honey, sugar and boiling water until sugar is dissolved. Add salt and baking soda and rye flour. Beat in additional ingredients.

Turn batter into prepared pan(s), about 2/3 full.

Baking time depends on size of loaves. Individuals will be done in 30-40 minutes. Large loaf 1-1 ¼ hours. What is critical is that the oven isn’t opened until the loaf is baked 2/3 of the way through. (in most cases, about 45 minutes.) The cakes will split down the middle. The loaf is done when a skewer comes out clean. Some shrinkage from the sides is preferable. More done than less done is preferable.

Cool in loaf pan until warm and then release (about 10-15 minutes, depending on size of loaf) onto side. Then turn right side up. Cool completely on a rack. The loaf must be cold before wrapping air-tight and storing. Keep wrapped for at least a week. Wrapped and refrigerated, these will keep for several months!