Pain d'épices

One of my favourite French Christmas and festive season treats is a recipe I like, as it is perfect for eating as it is, toasted with some butter at breakfast, or even fried in butter with foie gras on a Christmas dinner.


100 ml milk
280 g honey strong or a mixture of chestnut and mild honey
pinch of sea salt
70 g melted butter
260 g all-purpose wheat flour
1,5 tsp baking powder
0,5 tsp baking soda
2 tsp quatre epices mixture*
1 organic orange peel, finely grated
1 medium egg


Heat the oven to 170° C. Place baking paper in a square cake pan measuring 10 x 20 cm.

Heat the milk, and when it is almost boiling, add the honey and salt.

Mix flour with baking powder, soda and spices.

In a bowl with flour, add the milk mixture together with melted butter and mix. 

Add orange peel and egg. Mix again, pour into a form, and bake for around 50 minutes or longer until a toothpick comes out clean. Take out the pan and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Afterwards, lift out the cake and put it on a wire rack to cool completely. You can serve now or wrap in a plastic or other sealing wrap and leave aside to be used later. 


* Or you can use this micture
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp Ground black pepper

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg