German Lebkuchen Recipe

Dating back to the 14th century in Nuremberg, Germany, Elisenlebkuchen have stood the test of time as one of Germany’s most popular and beloved of all Christmas treats! Lebkuchen go all the way back to 14th century Germany where they were created by Catholic monks. Prepared in monastery bakeries, Lebkuchen included honey, a variety of spices and nuts. These ingredients not only had symbolic religious meaning but were highly prized for their healing properties. Those clever monks not only created an exceptionally delicious sweet treat, they found an additional use for their communion wafers: They increased the diameter size and used them as the base for the sticky gingerbread dough – a perfect solution. A quintessential sweet treat throughout all of Germany during the Christmas season, Lebkuchen is one of the most popular and beloved of all German holiday confections. There are a variety of German Lebkuchen, each distinguished by slight alterations in ingredients and most especially the amount of nuts used. But the most highly prized of all are the Nürnberger Elisenlebkuchen. The title is a regionally protected one and only Lebkuchen produced in Nürnberg can be sold as such. The distinguishing characteristic of the Elisenlebkuchen is that they use no flour and have a very high ratio of nuts, specifically a combination of almonds and hazelnuts. Ingredients 100g butter 250g honey 120g brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ginger powder 1/2 tsp ground cloves (or allspice) 1 vanilla pod, seeds 2 whole eggs 2 tsp cocoa powder 440g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder Method STEP 1 In a small pot gently heat the butter, sugar and honey and stir regularly until the sugar has completely dissolved. STEP 2 While this is happening, mix together all the other ingredients in a big bowl. STEP 3 Then add the liquid honey/butter/sugar mix to this (you'll either need a spoon and strong arms, or a kitchen aid machine with a kneading hook attachment). STEP 4 Now leave the dough to rest/cool down for an hour at room temperature. STEP 5 Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. (160 if fan-assisted) STEP 6 After an hour, roll out the dough to about 1cm thickness and cut out gingerbread men or any other shapes you prefer (if the dough is too sticky, place it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm-up, or knead it with your hands and add a bit more flour). STEP 7 Place the cookies on a tray lined with baking paper, and bake for approx. 10min. (they will still be slightly soft to the touch; this is what you are aiming for!) STEP 8 Once cool, feel free to frost them with icing, sugar pearls, or any other kinds of sweet decoration!