Lebkuchen
Nuremberg Elisenlebkuchen: soft nut and spice Christmas cookies on wafers
Nuremberg has been the German capital of Lebkuchen since the Middle Ages, when the city sat on the spice trade routes, and at its Christkindlesmarkt the stalls are piled with them every Advent. The finest kind, Elisenlebkuchen, contain almost no flour: they're made mostly of ground nuts, candied peel, eggs, sugar and a warm spice mix, baked on thin Oblaten wafers so they stay soft and chewy inside, then glazed with chocolate or sugar. They keep for weeks in a tin and get better as they rest. Chef's tip: bake them only until just set; a common mistake is baking until firm, which makes them dry and hard by the next day.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the Lebkuchen
For the glazes
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Whisk 3 eggs, 7 oz brown sugar and 1 tbsp honey with an electric mixer for 5–6 minutes, until thick, pale and foamy.
6 minStep 2: Mix 5 ½ oz ground almonds, 5 ½ oz ground hazelnuts, 3 ½ oz candied orange and lemon peel, 1 ⅜ oz plain flour, 2 tbsp Lebkuchen or gingerbread spice, 1 tsp lemon zest, ½ tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt, then fold into the egg mixture to make a thick, sticky paste. Cover and rest for 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge) so the nuts absorb the moisture.
30 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan). Lay 20 Oblaten wafers (7 cm) on lined trays. With wet hands or a wet knife, spread a heaped tablespoon of paste onto each wafer, doming it up to about 1.5 cm high and stopping 2 mm short of the edge. Press 3 1 ⅜ oz blanched almond halves on any you plan to sugar-glaze.
Step 4: Bake for 18–20 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden but still soft when gently pressed in the middle. Cool on a rack.
20 minStep 5: Melt 5 ½ oz dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Mix 2 ⅞ oz icing sugar with 1 tbsp lemon juice to a thick, smooth glaze.
Step 6: Dip or brush half the Lebkuchen with chocolate and brush the rest with the sugar glaze. Leave to set for an hour, then store in an airtight tin with a slice of apple for up to 4 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lebkuchen take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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