The quote they were riffing on mentioned cakes that had been "soaked in honey". So they made these Elizabethan-era honeycakes and then cut little holes in the tops and poured a generous quantity of honey into the centre of each one.
I'm not sure how close this comes to the treats the author had been imagining. Based on the description, I was imagining more of a small quick bread/chemically leavened cake that then gets soaked in a (possibly mildly spiced) honey syrup. But, I guess they wanted to use an old timey recipe as the basis for their cakes. I think there was a sense that this would fit the vibe of the setting a bit better. And, as written, the recipe does make delightful little rolls! (Although I think they'd be even better with a little butter added to the dough.) And, to be fair, it looks like the folks at Inn at the Crossroads did post a recipe for "modern honeycakes" that does use a chemically leavened batter baked in muffin tins to produce something more similar to what I'd originally been envisioning. (Although I have yet to try that recipe.)
I think it could be interesting to experiment with different takes on this idea. For example, I might be inclined to try making the little yeasted buns again, but try steaming them rather than baking them. Or try adding some butter and extra anise to the dough. Or try poaching them in honey syrup either before or after baking. There are all sorts of possibilities!
Honeycakes
Slightly adapted from C&C Cakery
Ingredients
- 480mL brown ale
- 6 Tbsp. honey, divided
- 4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast (or 1 Tbsp. instant yeast)
- 800g all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 6 Tbsp. almond flour
- 1 Tbsp. anise seeds, ground
- 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1/4 c. unsalted butter1, softened (optional)
- extra honey
Directions
- Combine the ale with 2 Tbsp. of the honey and gently warm to ~40°C (100°F).
- Remove from heat and sprinkle in the yeast and let stand for 5 minutes. (If using instant yeast you may add the yeast directly to the dry ingredients instead. No need to bloom it in the ale first.)
- Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, almond flour, anise, and salt and mix well. (If using instant yeast, add it along with the other dry ingredients.)
- Pour the yeast mixture into a mixing bowl along with the almond extract and the remaining honey.
- Mix in the dry ingredients a little at a time to form a soft dough.
- Work in the butter (if using).
- Cover and rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
- Knock dough back and divide into 20-24 equal portions.
- Round each portion and place on a greased baking sheet or in a greased 23x33cm (9x13") baking tin.
- Cover and allow to rise for another hour or so.2
- Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
- Uncover rolls and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 15-20 minutes.
- Cut a small hole in the top of each roll and carefully spoon in a generous quantity of honey. (The original recipe suggested ~1 Tbsp. per roll, but I went for a somewhat more modest 1 tsp..)
1 The original recipe did not call for any butter and I didn't use any this time, but I would like to try adding a bit of butter next time. The rolls were certainly plenty good as-is, but I think a bit of butter might make them even better. Back
2 I let my rolls rise for about an hour after shaping, but, in retrospect, I wish I'd given them another 15-20 minutes. They're perfectly good as-is, but they do seem a bit underproofed. The exact timing, of course, will depend on the temperature of your room. My house is a bit on the cool side right now, so the yeast were a bit sluggish. Back
