-------------------------------OPTIONAL ICING------------------------------3 tb Confectioners' sugar; -dissolved in 1 tb Milk;and ds Anise extract To make a very good Banbury Cake--Take four pounds of currants, and wash and picke them very cleane, and drie them in a cloth: then take three egges and put away one yolke and beate them, and straine them with good barme, putting thereto cloves, mace, cinamon and nutmegges: then take a pinte of creame, and as much mornings milke and st it on the fire till the cold bee taken away: then take flower and put in good store of cold butter and suger. Then put in your egges, barme and meale and worke them all together an houre or more: then save a part of the past, and the rest breake in peeces and worke in your currants: which done, mould your cake of what quantity you please: and then with that past which hath not any currants cover it very thinne both underneath and aloft. And so bake it according to the bignesse.--Gervase Markham, The English Hous-wife Banbury, a town in Oxfordshire, is still famous for its cakes, but today the most popular ones are flavored with rum. Still, Markham's cakes hold their own some three hundred fifty years after they were created. Having no ale barm, we'll use yeast. Banbury cakes, serve warm with butter and jam, are delicious at breakfast or tea.

1. In a saucepan, scald cream. Add butter, sugar, and salt. Stir to dissolve. Pour mixture into a large bowl and cool to lukewarm.

2. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water.

3. Add yeast, eggs, and spices to cream mixture.

4. In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of flour and currants, stirring until currants are lightly coated.

5. Add flour and currants to cream ----