seax wica lyblacSeax Wica And Lyblac 

Honey, Oat and Spiced Cakes

Anglo Saxons & Vikings food
These cakes can be quite hard to make as they are quite crumbly and you may need to adjust the amounts of ingredients used.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 12-15 minutes
Number of servings: 12 cakes


The Anglo Saxons were farmers, but they traded too and a well off farmer might have used spices on special occasions. Don’t go mad with them! They would have been terribly expensive and very precious.

Cinnamon, used here, has been known from remote antiquity, and it was highly prized amongst ancient nations. It is native to India and was imported to Egypt from China as early as 2000 BC. Up to the Middle Ages, the source of cinnamon was a mystery to the Western world. Its origin was possibly kept secret, so the traders could ensure a monopoly.

It came into Europe through East Africa or Egypt and, until the late 14th century, it was thought that giant Cinnamon birds collected the cinnamon sticks from an unknown land where the cinnamon trees grew, and used them to construct their nests, from which the traders obtained them.

When cooked, these cakes are a little like a crumbly flapjack. (With thanks to West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village for providing this recipe.)
Ingredients
Making and cooking it
  1. Preheat oven to 180C
  2. In a large saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter and remove from the heat
  3. Stir in the oats, dried fruit and honey until well mixed
  4. Spoon dollops of the mixture onto a well greased baking sheet and flatten slightly
  5. Bake in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden
  6. Gently lift cakes onto a wire rack and leave to cool