PAIN D’ÉPICES

Pain d’épices is a classic sweet French bread infused with spices. It has a cake-like consistency, is easy to make in a bread tin, and can be sliced and toasted for days and served slathered with butter — though we doubt it will last that long because the aroma of baked cinnamon and ginger will keep you coming back for more! A wonderful (and preferable) alternative to the ubiquitous banana bread — except for the one here, of course.

Makes one 750 g (1 lb 10 oz) spiced loaf

110 g (3¾ oz) unsalted butter

75 g (2½ oz) golden syrup or treacle

10 g (¼ oz) molasses

125 g (4½ oz) soft brown sugar

185 g (6½ oz/1¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

10 g (¼ oz) baking powder

10 g (¼ oz) ground ginger

5 g (¹/₈ oz) ground cinnamon

2 eggs

135 ml (4½ fl oz) milk

60 ml (2 fl oz/ ¼ cup) sour cream

Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F). Grease a 9 x 23 x 7 cm deep (3½ x 9 x 2¾ inch) loaf (bar) tin.

Put the butter, golden syrup, molasses and sugar in a saucepan and cook, stirring, until smooth and combined. Remove from the heat.

Sift the flour, baking powder and spices together into a bowl.

Put the eggs, milk and sour cream in another bowl and whisk to combine, then add to the golden syrup mixture. Gradually add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine, taking care not to overwork the mixture.

Spoon into the prepared loaf tin.

Bake for 1 hour 50 minutes, turning halfway through; this is a super-wet dough, so it requires a long baking time. The loaf will be ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack.

The loaf will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days, or a week in the fridge.