Ginger Bread (medieval/elizabethan)

Course Ginger Bread–Take a quart of Honey clarified, and seeth it
till it be brown, and if it be thick, put to it a dash of water: then
take fine crumbs of white bread grated, and put to it, and stir it
well, and when it is almost cold, put to it the powder of Ginger,
Cloves, Cinamon, and a little Licorice and Anise seeds: then knead
it, and put it into a mould and print it. Some use to put to it also
a little Pepper, but that is according unto taste and
pleasure.–Gervase Markham, The English House-wife Gingerbread was
traditionally boiled rather than baked. This recipe is not
significantly different from medieval recipes found in fourteenth-
and fifteenth-century manuscripts, except for the licorice-a
brilliant touch.

Loaves of gingerbread, like squares of quince and other fruit pastes,
were often stamped with decorative designs. You may wish to
experiment with a cookie or butter press on the top of this little
loaf while it is still warm and malleable.

1. In the top of a double boiler, heat honey. Add spices except
anise seeds, and stir to blend. 2. Add bread crumbs and mix
thoroughly. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Mixture
should be thick and moist. 3. Place gingerbread on a large sheet of
waxed paper. Fold up sides of paper and mold dough into small
rectangular shape. 4. Sprinkle anise seeds on top and press them
gently into dough with the side of a knife. 5. Cover and refrigerate
for 2 hours. 6. Serve gingerbread at room temperature in thin slices.