Spice Bread

With all of the rain we've been getting here in Boston, I was housebound most of the weekend and itching to play in the kitchen. Of course that meant I hadn't been food shopping either, which made for slim pickings in the ingredients section. After browsing I found this simple bread recipe from a book I hadn't yet used. No eggs, no sugar, no problem! And you know I love me some molasses, and the addition of honey leaves the bread sweet and tender. The recipe suggests leaving the cooked loaf for a day to help the flavors develop, and they sure did. The simple, moist bread would be perfect for a brunch, the holidays, or snacking anytime!

Honey Spice Loaf (Pain d'Epice)
From: Chocolate and Zucchini

1 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg and ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Combine the milk, honey, and molasses in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat without boiling and with a spatula until combined. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flours, baking powder, salt and spices.
In a smaller bowl combine the candied ginger (if using) with 2 teaspoons of the flour mixture and set aside.
Form a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the milk mixture slowly and whisk in a circular motion, starting from the center, until all the flour has been incorporated- the batter will be thin. Fold in the ginger if using.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes.
Transfer to a rack and cool. Wrap and let rest at room temperature until the next day.