Honey 203 



To-day confectionery is made principally of sugar, and 

 fruits are generally preserved in it instead of in honey, the 

 " quaint and lady-like palates " of the present day preferring 

 sugar as being more delicate in flavor and making a less 

 rich conserve, — moreover, it is cheaper. 



Yet honey is not wholly discarded in the manufacture of 

 " sweetmeats ; " as witness the famous " honey cakes of 

 Nuremberg," and as well the honey cakes sold at the 

 French fairs, concerning which Langstroth says, — 



" In France, ' pain-d'6pice,' ' ginger-bread,' is sold in 

 immense quantities at the fairs. The best makes are sold 

 at the most important fairs throughout the country. It 

 keeps an indefinite length of time, and farmers' wives are 

 wont to buy enough to last for months. The following is 

 the recipe : — 



" Dissolve four ounces of soda in a glass of warm skimmed 

 milk. Take four pounds of flour and pour in the milk and 

 enough warm honey to make a thick dough, flavor with 

 anise and coriander seeds, cloves, and cinnamon, all pow- 

 dered fine ; knead carefully, as you would bread. Let it 

 rise two hours in a warm place, spread in pans and bake in 

 a moderately warm oven. Ten or twelve minutes will do, 

 if the cakes are thin. As soon as the cake resists to the 

 touch of the finger, it is done. Before baking, it may 

 be decorated with almonds, preserved lemon peel, etc. 

 Wheat flour makes good ' pain-d'epice,' but some prefer 

 rye flour. Fall honey is preferable for it, on account of its 

 strong taste." 



We are told that the gems and jumbles of the following 

 two recipes are made by bakers and confectioners on a 

 large scale, one firm in Wisconsin alone using ten tons of 

 honey annually in their manufacture. 



Honey-gems. 2 qts. flour, 3 tablespoon fuls melted 

 lard, f pt. honey, ^ pt. molasses, 4 heaping tablespoonfuls 



