Pain d'épices is essentially French gingerbread, a sweet quickbread with spices and honey. A traditional recipe for Christmas time, this recipe is dairy free, egg free, and features traditional rye flour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease or line a smaller baking tin (mine is 22.5×9.5 cm or 9×3 1/4 inches).
In a large bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, rye flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla (if powder), cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk the coconut milk, honey, oil, orange juice, and orange zest. If using vanilla extract, add it as well. If your coconut milk is on the harder side, you may want to blend instead – I used an immersion blender. This will likely curdle but that’s fine.
400 ml canned coconut milk, 120 grams honey, 2 tablespoons olive oil, Zest of an orange, 2 tablespoons orange juice
Add the coconut milk mixture to the large bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix until just combined. Don’t over mix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until golden in colour and a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
Leave the loaf in the tin for ten minutes before removing to cool fully on a rack. Cool completely before wrapping in beeswax wrap or placing it into an airtight container to rest overnight.
The following day, slice and serve. This loaf will keep for about a week in a cool place, stored in an airtight container, and freezes well.
Notes
* I use whole grain rye for the stronger flavour. You can use a lighter version if preferred.