Lebkuchen
These traditional Christmas cookies have their origin in the town of Nurnberg. I adapted this recipe from an old German cookbook. Their spiced nutty flavor is great for variety on cookie platters.
These traditional Christmas cookies have their origin in the town of Nurnberg. I adapted this recipe from an old German cookbook. Their spiced nutty flavor is great for variety on cookie platters.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- -- icing --
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 large egg yolk
- water
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- -- cookies --
- 175 grams honey
- 50 grams sugar
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (heaping)
- 1 pinch mace
- 250 grams whole wheat flour
- 75 grams almonds ground
- 75 grams hazlenuts ground
- 50 grams candied lemon peel chopped finely
- 75 grams dried apricots chopped finely
- baking wafers (obladen), optional
- 1 large egg white optional
- 125 grams powdered sugar
- Carbohydrate 61.4548226501064 g
- Cholesterol 4.1956 mg
- Fat 2.2744797 g
- Fiber 1.14559448663859 g
- Protein 1.45090277500044 g
- Saturated Fat 0.2207734087975 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (68g)
- Sodium 27.6888875348555 mg
- Sugar 60.3092281634678 g
- Trans Fat 0.1242973037755 g
- Calories 263 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350. In a saucepan over medium heat, Slowly heat the honey, sugar, salt, oil and water until sugar is dissolved. Put in a mixing bowl and allow to cool.
- Sift the flour and baking powder together.
- Stir egg yolk, cocoa and spices into the honey mixture. Slowly mix in the sifted flour mixture, and when it is smooth, add the rest of the cookie ingredients.
- Roll out to to about 1/4 inch thick and use a cookie cutter or glass to cut out 2 inch rounds. If you are using the baking wafers, brush a wafer with egg white and stick to the bottom of each cookie.
- Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool. For the icing, mix water gradually into powdered sugar until it is the consitency of heavy cream. Brush icing on each cookie. Allow to dry.
Honey acts as the primary structural agent in these traditional German spiced biscuits, providing both the necessary moisture and the heavy sweetness that keeps the crumb dense rather than cake-like. Because honey is hygroscopic, it absorbs ambient moisture over time, meaning baked lebkuchen actually improve in texture after a few days of resting inside a sealed tin. Managing the dough and its components requires specific attention to technique.
- Heat the honey, sugar, salt, oil, and water over medium heat only until the sugar dissolves completely, then cool the mixture before adding dry ingredients to prevent cooking the egg yolk.
- Grind whole almonds and hazelnuts finely at home using a food processor if store-bought meal is unavailable, ensuring the pieces remain small enough to pass through a quarter-inch rolling thickness.
- Substitute baking wafers, known as obladen, with parchment paper circles if specialty food stores do not carry them, omitting the brush of egg white designated for adhesion.
- Roll the dough precisely to one-fourth of an inch using wooden dowel guides on either side of the pin to guarantee even baking across all fifty rounds.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes, removing them promptly when the edges feel firm while the centers retain slight give.
- Mix the powdered sugar and water gradually until the glaze matches the viscosity of heavy cream, then brush it uniformly across cooled surfaces.
Proper storage in a airtight container preserves the moisture balance achieved during baking. The resulting spiced rounds maintain their distinct character for weeks when kept protected from dry air.
