Lebkuchen

Name: Lebkuchen
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 3 Eggs; 150g Brown Sugar; 1 packet of Vanilla Sugar, 8 g; or 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 Lemon Zest, finely grated; 2 tsp Lebkuchengewürz, gingerbread spice; 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 300g Ground Almonds, blanched, finely ground; 200g Ground Hazelnuts, finely ground; 150g Candied Orange Peel, very finely chopped; 100g Candied Lemon Peel, very finely chopped; 20 Oblatens, wafer papers, 70 mm diameter; 200g Dark Chocolate; 1 tsp Neutral Oil; 150g Powdered Sugar; 2 1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice; 1 pinch of Salt

Soft, warmly spiced German Lebkuchen studded with chopped candied citrus and a toasty mix of almonds and hazelnuts. These bite-sized honey-alternative cookies rest on thin wafer bases and can be finished with a glossy dark chocolate coating or a bright lemon glaze. They develop a deep, comforting aroma as they cool—perfect with a cup of tea or as a holiday treat.

Soft, warmly spiced German Lebkuchen studded with chopped candied citrus and a toasty mix of almonds and hazelnuts. These bite-siz... Show more

Traditional German Recipe

Health Grade

D- · Occasional

Rating

4.3

Time

1 hr40 min

Price

2,30 €

Calories

819 kcal

vegetarian

gluten free

high fiber

low sodium

Method

Preheat the oven

Heat the oven to 325° F (160° C). While it warms, get your baking sheets ready so you can shape the Lebkuchen as soon as the dough is mixed.

Chop the peel

Very finely chop the Candied Orange Peel and Candied Lemon Peel so the pieces blend into the batter instead of staying in big sticky chunks.

Mix the dough

In a large bowl, whisk the Eggs with the Brown Sugar and Vanilla Sugar until the mixture looks pale and a little airy. Stir in the Lemon Zest, gingerbread spice, Ground Cinnamon, and Salt, then fold in the Ground Almonds, Ground Hazelnuts, and the chopped candied peels until you have a very thick, sticky dough.

Shape and bake

Arrange the wafer papers on the baking sheets and divide the dough among them, about 1 generous tablespoon per wafer. Smooth each mound slightly with damp fingers or the back of a spoon so the tops bake evenly, then bake for 15 minutes until the edges are set and the tops are just lightly browned.

Cool the cookies

Leave the cookies on the tray for 5 minutes so they can firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely for about 20 minutes. You can use that time to make the glazes and tidy up your workspace.

Make the chocolate glaze

Melt the Dark Chocolate with the Neutral Oil in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until the glaze is smooth and glossy. Keep the heat gentle so the chocolate stays silky instead of grainy.

Make the lemon glaze

Whisk the Powdered Sugar with the Lemon Juice, adding the juice gradually until you have a thick icing that falls from the spoon in a slow ribbon. If it gets too runny, whisk in a little more powdered sugar.

Glaze and set

For a pretty mixed finish, dip some of the cooled Lebkuchen into the chocolate glaze and brush or drizzle the rest with the lemon glaze. Set them back on the rack and leave them until the glaze is firm, about 20 minutes, before serving or packing them away.