Nonnettes - French Gingerbread Cakes

Nonnettes (pronounced no-net) are individual spiced cakes filled with a bit of marmalade, jam or curd. They originated in the Burgundy region of France during the Middle Ages. And to think, I've only just recently heard of them! So of course I had to make some. My starting point was the three versions posted by Phil of the delightful blog As Strong As Soup.

Les Nonnettes are moist and sticky and can be made with different combinations of spices, zests and fillings for variety. I've gone with the classic ginger and orange in this case, but plan to also make them with cardamom. There are no eggs in the recipe. But I might add one next time anyway.

I was going to use homemade marmalade in these, but I discovered the only marmalade left in my jam cupboard was a jar of kumquat marmalade I'd made in April 2014! It looked fine but tasted a bit off, so I used apricot jam instead. I don't think the marmalade would have killed us--at least I hope not, since I tasted it! 

I don't know what nonnettes were baked in back in the Middle Ages, but I used a 12-cup standard muffin tin because heaven knows I'm the last person who needs to be buying another specialty pan! 

As always, I've formulated my recipe to exactly fill that standard pan. If you use a different sort of pan, you will likely come up with a different number of cakes than my own precisely twelve.

Have you ever made, had, or even heard of, nonnettes? Please tell me I've not been alone in my ignorance!

Nonnettes - French Gingerbread Cakes

(Makes 12)

1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) honey
1/3 cup (2.67 fluid ounces/79 ml) milk
1/3 cup (2.67 fluid ounces/79 ml) water
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter
1 3/4 dip-and-sweep cups (8.75 ounces/248 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons non-GMO baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ginger
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Finely grated zest of a medium orange
6 teaspoons orange marmalade or a jam
5 tablespoons (1.25 ounces/35 grams) powdered sugar

About 4 teaspoons of juice of the zested orange

1 Butter well a 12-cup standard muffin tin. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat together the brown sugar, honey, water, milk and butter until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

Note: Why such a large saucepan for that small quantity, you might ask. Because then you can add the flour mixture to the pan, instead of the other way around, and just have one messy thing to clean up.

2 In 1.5-quart mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices, whisking well to "sift." 

Note: I rarely sift flour anymore. It really only needs aerating, which can be done quite easily with a half minute or so of vigorous whisking.

3 Add the flour mixture to the warm honey mixture and whisk together until combined. Stir in the orange zest. 

4 Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. If the batter feels quite warm, cover* the muffin tin and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/Gas4.

* I love that my muffin tin comes with a cover!

5 With your oiled finger or similar sized object, make a hole in the center of each cup and put in 1/2 teaspoon of marmalade or jam. Bake for about 16 to 20 minutes, until they are golden brown and spring back when pressed gently in the center. Let the cakes cool in the tin for about 5 minutes so you can handle them. They have to be removed individually from the pan, rather than just turning them out, so that the jam doesn't run out. 

Note: I used the handle of a wooden spoon and rubbed olive oil on it about every three cakes. You need to put the jam in shortly after making the hole or it will simply close up. Next time, I'll make the hole about an inch deep and bring the batter back over the hole after it is filled.

6 While still warm, whisk together a simple glaze of sifted powdered sugar and orange juice. Apply the thin glaze to the warm cakes with a pastry brush. Cool completely before storing in an airtight tin. Good served right away, they are said to be even better after being stored in the airtight tin for a day or two and will keep for up to a week. 

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Jean