Elisen Lebkuchen German Christmas Cookies Recipes

EASY GERMAN LEBKUCHEN RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine the ground spices in a small bowl or jar.
• Cover and set aside.
• This recipe makes a little more spice mix than you need for these cookies. Feel free to add more spice mix to the cookies if you'd like a stronger flavor.
• Wash oranges and lemons.
• Zest the citrus using a microplane.
• Heat water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat.
• Add zest and stir.
• Bring to a low boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Strain out the liquid and let the candied zest cool in a small bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
• This recipe will likely make a little more candied zest than you need for these cookies. Feel free to add more if you'd like a stronger flavor.
• Use a food processor to grind the almonds and hazelnuts until they're like crumbs. (But be careful that you don't grind so long that they turn into nut butter! It's ok if you have some larger nut chunks.They don't all have to be the same size.) Set ground nuts aside.
• Add the brown sugar, Lebkuchen Spice Mix, baking powder, and salt to a mixing bowl (or the food processor or the bowl of a stand mixer). Mix with a whisk or spoon until combined
• Add the candied zest and mix again.
• Add the nuts and mix.
• Add the spice mix and stir.
• And then add the honey and mix again.
• Whisk the eggs in a small bowl, then add the eggs to the dough and mix again.
• The dough should be pretty thick at this point.
• At this stage you can cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. Or you bake your cookies right away.
• When you're ready to bake your cookies, pre-head your oven to 325F/160C.
• Place the Oblaten wafers on a lined baking tray (if using).
• If using the 70mm size, spoon 2 tablespoons dough onto the middle of each wafer. If your dough immediately flattens out and spills out over the wafer, add more ground nuts (try grinding another 1/4 to 1/2 cup).
• Ideally you want the baked cookies to cover the entire wafer while keeping a domed shape. You can use lightly damp fingers to gently spread the dough towards the edge of the Oblaten. I just barely spread the dough towards the edges.
• For the cookies you want to eat plain (no glaze), you can press almonds into the dough at this stage. I totally forgot to do that so my plain cookies are very plain (still tasty, though)!
• Bake the cookies for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are browned. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.
• Add powdered sugar, water, vanilla extract, and rum extract (optional) to a small bowl and mix until there are no lumps. Adjust powdered sugar and water as needed. The sugar glaze in the recipe below should be enough to glaze half of the cookies, so double it if you want to use it for all of the cookies.
• Chop the dark chocolate and add a bit of oil (vegetable, coconut, etc). Slowly melt the chocolate in the microwave on 15-20 second intervals or in a double boiler on stove (or place a glass bowl over a saucepan that has simmering water it in). Stir frequently. When 3/4 of the chocolate has melted, simply keep stirring to melt the rest. If you want all of your cookies to have a chocolate glaze, double the recipe.
• Use a pastry brush to apply the sugar or chocolate glaze to the top of the cookies. You can also dip the cookies in the glaze (I found it easiest to use the pastry brush).
• Add almonds (whole blanched, slivered or sliced) to decorate the top of the cookies before glaze sets.
• Let the glaze dry on the cookies for 12-24 hours. Store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers of cookies. They'll keep for at least a couple weeks, longer in the freezer.

ELISENLEBKUCHEN (GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 150°C (or 300°F).
• Place powdered sugar and egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat, using a whisk attachment on an electric mixer on high speed, until stiff (but not dry) peaks form- this may take while (up to 8 minutes- but may take less depending upon your mixer).
• Combine the lemon zest, the candied lemon peel, and the nuts, then gently fold in the egg whites mixture- do not overmix.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then set out the oblaten wafers.
• Place a 1 rounded Tbsp of cookie dough onto each oblaten in a mound.
• Bake about 20 minutes until light brown, in the center of the oven.
• If necessary, set a second (empty) cookie sheet in the rack directly above the cookies to help keep the tops from overbrowning.
• Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks.
• Melt chocolate in either a double boiler or in the microwave briefly until you can stir down the chocolate into a melted glaze (be careful not to burn if you use the microwave- chocolate tends to hold its shape even if it is melted inside when melted this way).
• Drizzle the tops of each cookie with the melted chocolate.
• If you prefer, you may melt even more chocolate and carefuly dip the cookies halfway.
• Let dipped cookies dry on a cooling rack.
• Pack into airtight containers.
• IF USING AMERICAN MEASUREMENTS: Use about 2 cups ground almonds, 2 1/3 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup candied lemon peel, and a couple of Hershey's milk chocolate bars (regular size)- or more.

ELISEN LEBKUCHEN GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Grind unblanched almonds and hazelnuts. Cut citron and peels VERY fine. I buy my nuts already ground. If you do grind your nuts you should add some of the flour from the recipe to the nuts so it does not turn to a butter while grinding.
• 2. In a large mixing bowl stir together fruit and nut mixture, flour and spices. Set aside
• 3. In a small mixing bowl beat two egg whites until foamy; gradually beat in sugar just till soft peaks form (tips curl over). Fold into nut mixture; stir in apricot preserves.
• 4. Spoon batter by rounded spoonfull onto baking wafers and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Smooth tops with moistened finger.
• 5. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered for 2 hours to dry. Bake at 350 for 20 to 22 minutes.
• 6. Allow to cool and ice with chocolate or powdered sugar glaze.
• 7. NOTE: Bach Oblaten Rounds can be purchased at a German deli if you have access to one. Otherwise, I have purchased these on-line through Amazon and E-Bay. I'm sure there are other on-line grocers that sell them too. I should also note that they are edible for those that are not familiar with them. Also, the do come in different sizes. The smaller the round the more cookies it yields.
• 8. NOTE: Photos are from Google Images. I will post my own when I make them this Christmas.