LEBKUCHEN
Lebkuchen are a nutty soft gingerbread spiced with a german christmas spice mix. Traditionally Lebkuchen are gluten free, use a mixture of ground hazelnuts and almonds and are baked on communion wafers. This is my traditional-ish take on them which creates a soft cakey gingerbread. I still use hazelnuts and almonds, which I toast and grind to get toasty nut notes and little pieces of crunchy nuts. I also use honey as traditional Lebkuchen do and make my own spice mix.
Makes approx 24-28 (depending on how big you scoop them)
110g honey (any type is fine)
90g brown sugar
60g butter
45g toasted hazelnuts, roughly ground
35g toasted almonds, plus extra for decoration, roughly ground (I use blanched)
1 egg
170g flour
2ish tsp spice mix*** (use more if you want super spiced)
Zest of an orange (optional)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Glaze
200g icing sugar
Approx 25-35g water
Pinch of salt and squeeze of vanilla (optional)
***Lebkuchen are made with a German Christmas spice mix, which I make a big batch of for all my xmas baking in December. I do roughly these quantities (but adjust as you like): 3 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 3/4 tsp each ground cloves, allspice, nutmeg and 1/4 tsp each ground cardamom, mace and star anise if you can find it ground.
METHOD
Preheat your oven to 180C. If you haven’t already, roughly grind your nuts in a food processor. You want them to be relatively fine with the odd chunkier piece.
Put the honey and brown sugar in a pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t catch. Until the mixture boils and starts to rapidly bubble. Pull off the heat and add your butter and stir to combine.
Once all combined add your nuts and spices (and orange zest if using) and stir. Leave the mixture to cool ever so slightly before adding the egg as if you added it now it would cook and you will have lil chunks of egg in your cookie which isn’t ideal … So once coolish, say five minutes later, add your egg and stir well.
Pour in your flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and fold together with a flexible spatula. The dough is quite stiff. Once combined stop mixing as we don’t want to overwork it.
Using a small cookie scoop (approx 1 tbsp worth), scoop onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper approximately 4-5cm apart as they will spread. Bake for 9-12 minutes (it really depends on your oven), you want them to be lightly golden and still soft. Pull out and leave to set for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a rack to fully cool.
Make your glaze: combine your icing sugar, water (start with smallest amount and increase to get a cream consistency) and salt and vanilla if using. Dip your cookies into the mix, giving them a gentle shake and second or two for the excess to drip off. Place back onto the rack, top with a toasted almond or three and leave the glaze to harden.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. These biscuits last super well, they will just soften over time.