Lebkuchen spiced Christmas cookies
Lebkuchen, or spiced biscuits originating from Nuremberg, are German Christmas spiced biscuits, fabulous to be enjoyed with mulled wine or hot tea, but also as a gift for Christmas.
The original Lebkuchen from Nuremberg, (Nűrnberg Lebkuchen or Elisen Lebkuchen), among the most famous German sweets, are made from nuts, without flour and without yeast and can have a size of 5 cm or 7 cm up to 9 cm.
From this ancient recipe, numerous variations were born: with almonds, honey, similar to gingerbread cookies, chocolate, glazed …
a bit of history…
The term “Lebkuchen” derives from the ancient German word “Lebbe” (very sweet) and therefore means “sweet cake”, but it can also derive from the Latin “libum” (focaccia), since the Monks of Nuremberg, already in the 13th century , they prepared a focaccia with honey and juice of medicinal herbs, which originated the current Lebkuchen.
The first production of these spiced biscuits took place in Nuremberg in 1643.
Taste Lebkuchen with a raisin wine:
Sangue di Giuda passito DOC or Fior d’Arancio DOCG, Italy
Valais AOC Amigne Mitis Grain Noble Vétroz, Switzerland
Jour de Fruit, Monbazillac AOC or Barsac Sauternes AOC, France
Spiced Christmas cookies
Ingredients
- 300 gr honey
- 100 gr butter
- 50 gr sugar
- 1 egg
- 240 gr flour
- 240 gr rye flour
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1 tsp ginger
- 2 tsp cocoa
- zest of one lemon
- zest of ½ orange
- 50 gr almonds
- 40 ml milk
- 6 gr bicarbonate
- 150 gr dark chocolate
Instructions
- To prepare the gingerbreads, melt the butter and honey in a double boiler, mixing to mix the two ingredients well, then allow to cool.
- Beat eggs and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the cocoa, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, lemon and orange zest and mix the ingredients well with the egg mixture.
- Add the warmed honey, without stopping mixing.
- Add the previously chopped almonds to the mixture.
- Mix the 00 flour with the rye flour in a bowl, then add them to the dough, sifting them a little at a time.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk and add to the general mixture.
- Cover the bowl of dough with cling film and put it in the turned off oven to rise for a whole night.
- The next day, work a part of the dough until you get a thin sheet, then use some pastry rings to make the biscuits.
- Arrange them on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven at 180 ° C for 10 minutes
- Let them cool down.
- Cut the chocolate into small pieces, melt it in a double boiler and then brush it on the surface of the biscuits.
- Cool down.