Pain d’Epices

This classic French spiced bread has a beautifully delicate taste and is great to serve all year round, not just at Christmas. Many different areas in France - such as Reims, Dijon and Alsace - have their own subtly different recipes and historically this cake was left to ferment (the honey helped it do that), which made it rise, before baking; though these days we don’t have to wait as we simply add a little baking powder.