Ingredients
Dough
- 400 ghoney
- 150 gbrown sugar
- 100 gbutter
- 3eggs
- 300 gground almonds
- 150 gground hazelnuts
- 100 gcandied orange peel, finely chopped
- 50 gcandied lemon peel, finely chopped
- 50 gplain flour
- 1 tspbaking ammonia or baking powder
Lebkuchengewürz
- 2 tspcinnamon
- 1 tspground clove
- 1 tspground allspice
- 1 tspground cardamom
- ½ tspground nutmeg
- ½ tspground coriander
- ½ tspground anise
- ¼ tspground mace
To assemble
- 25Oblaten wafer discs
- whole almonds
Glaze
- 150 gicing sugar with lemon juice, or 150 g dark chocolate
Directions
- Warm the honey, sugar and butter together until melted and smooth, then cool it completely. Nuremberg Elisenlebkuchen is defined by law: it must contain at least 25 per cent almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts and no more than 10 per cent flour.
- Grind the nuts finely and chop the candied peel as small as you can manage. Chop the peel very fine.
- Beat the eggs into the cooled honey mixture, then work in the nuts, peel, flour, spice mix and raising agent. The mixture will be very soft and sticky, which is correct.
- Cover it and leave it at room temperature for two to three days before baking.
- Spoon the mixture onto the Oblaten wafers, mounding it slightly, and smooth the top with a wet spoon. The Oblaten wafer is the base and it is what stops the very sticky mixture welding itself to the tray.
- Press whole almonds into the top in a pattern. Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 18 to 22 minutes. Take them out while they still feel soft in the middle. They firm considerably as they cool, and a lebkuchen baked until firm turns hard.
- Cool them completely, then glaze half with lemon icing and half with melted chocolate. Store them in a tin with a slice of apple, which keeps them soft.
Technique
- Elisenlebkuchen is the highest grade, with the most nuts and the least flour.
- Oblaten wafers are sold in packs wherever lebkuchen ingredients are sold.
- The spice blend is sold ready-mixed as Lebkuchengewürz and every family adjusts it.
Substitutions
- Baking powder in place of baking ammonia, giving a slightly denser result.
- All ground almonds if hazelnuts are unavailable.
Variations
- Glazed with dark chocolate rather than lemon icing.
- Made without wafers, as free-form rounds.
- Pfeffernüsse and Printen, the related German spiced biscuits.
History
Nuremberg’s spice trade fed its monastery bakers; Nürnberger Lebkuchen is PGI protected and the Elisen grade uses almost no flour.
Frequently asked questions
What is Lebkuchen?
Lebkuchen is a snack from Germany: spiced honey gingerbread from Nuremberg’s Christmas markets. Nuremberg’s spice trade fed its monastery bakers; Nürnberger Lebkuchen is PGI protected and the Elisen grade uses almost no flour.
How long does Lebkuchen take to make?
Lebkuchen takes 40 min plus 3 days resting of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 25. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Lebkuchen?
Yes, within limits. Baking powder in place of baking ammonia, giving a slightly denser result. All ground almonds if hazelnuts are unavailable.
What is the most important thing to get right in Lebkuchen?
Warm the honey, sugar and butter together until melted and smooth, then cool it completely. Nuremberg Elisenlebkuchen is defined by law: it must contain at least 25 per cent almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts and no more than 10 per cent flour.
