Gingerbread biscuits first made an appearance in England in the 16^th century, when they were sold in monasteries, pharmacies and town farmers’ markets. Earlier recipes were rather spicier than those in common use today, often including mustard or pepper in addition to the ground ginger. The word ‘gingerbread’ stems from the old French word gingebras, itself an adaptation of the Latin zingiber, meaning preserved ginger. Eventually, gingerbread came to mean either biscuits or cake flavoured with ginger and other spices. A sticky cake version of gingerbread is typically eaten in Britain around the 5^th November or Guy Fawkes Night. Why not try making Elizabethan gingerbread following the recipe below to see how it compares with the modern variety?