To Make Ordinary Ginger Bread

This gingerbread recipe comes from Elizabeth Fowler, an active figure in 1684, whose handwritten collection provides rare insight into domestic cookery in England during the Restoration period. At this time, spice-laden recipes such as gingerbread were culinary luxuries, reflecting both status and the growing availability of imported spices like ginger, cinnamon, and licorice. Honey, rather than sugar, was a typical sweetener for such treats, and molded confectionery was as much about decoration as flavor. Recipes were handed down in manuscripts among women of the gentry, so this preparation is likely intended for festive occasions or as a genteel household treat. The method also reflects the practical conservation of stale bread and highlights the role of confectionery in early modern hospitality.

In the 17th century, cooks would have used a coarse horsehair sieve to process the grated bread, a brass or copper pan for gently heating the honey, and a sturdy wooden spoon for mixing. Shaped hardwood or stone molds would create decorative shapes, and cooks would dust the molds with spice for both flavor and easy release of the dough. Preparation was entirely by hand, often involving communal or family participation, especially when forming and printing the gingerbread.