LEBKUCHEN

Lebkuchen flood Christmas markets every year, not only in Germany (their place of origin) but also in many parts of Europe & America. Shaped in rounds or like hearts, they invariably contain nuts, honey, spices & a little bit of flour; they come with a sugar coating and they boast of a glorious past.

Like their pepper-flavored cousins, as well as various types of German sausage, honey-cakes (Honigkuchen) gave medieval & Renaissance people an excuse for drinking ale, of which large quantities were being produced in monasteries. The recipe was developed in Franconia during the 13th century and Lebkuchen became hugely popular, along with the bakers who specialized in their making. Nuremberg, in particular, counted Lebküchners among its finest craftsmen.

A Lebküchner of Nuremberg, c. 1520

Situated near the rebellious towns of the Alps, the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg enjoyed a status of prosperity while its skilled diplomats handled external challenges. For a hundred years and more, they used honeyed speech towards neighbouring cities and, more importantly, towards the German emperor, hoping to maintain peace & order - precisely as Lebkuchen artisans used the richest honey available to sweeten their cakes. Long after Nuremberg's decline caused by the wars that followed Martin Luther's reformation, Nürnberger Lebkuchen kept the city's good name (though modern readers probably associate the capital of Franconia with the 1945/1946 trials).

Today every German city, monastery, and family owns a different recipe while authentic versions of Lebkuchen are being kept secret. Recipes can also be found in modern books & sites, often with a relatively high percentage of flour (& sugar) which helps prolong the cookie's self-life. As late as the 19th century, however, a type of Nürnberger Lebkuchen became known for the opposite: a large amount of nuts compared to other ingredients.

LEBKUCHEN
This recipe is made from scratch, after experimentation with Lebkuchen ingredients. It uses 25.9% nuts and 10.4% flour, which is pretty close to Nuremberg's Elisenlebkuchen, a cookie made of  25.0% nuts and less than 10.0% flour.  

I n g r e d i e n t s
125g almonds
1tsp icing sugar
50g all-purpose flour
50g caster sugar
2tbsp fir-tree or wildflower honey
2tbsp candied orange peel
3 medium egg whites
1tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp aniseed
1/4tsp cardamom
1/4tsp coriander
1/4tsp ginger
1/4tsp nutmeg
1/8tsp cloves
1/8tsp allspice
 
M e t h o d
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. Place the almonds and icing sugar in a food processor and grind thoroughly. Sift the flour with the spices. Lightly warm the honey in a small pan. Beat the egg whites into meringue, gradually adding the sugar. 3. Combine the nuts, flour, spices and candied orange peel with the honey, using your fingers if necessary. Fold in the meringue with a spoon. 4. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheets, leaving enough space in between. Bake each load separately, for 20-25 minutes. 5. Let cool on a wire rack. Glaze with a mixture of sugar and water (or rum), if liked. 6. Store in biscuit jar, individually wrapped in parchment paper.
 
V a r i a t i o n
To make dark Lebkuchen, substitute walnuts for almonds, molasses for honey and use candied lemon instead of orange. You will get a slightly bittersweet cookie. Alternatively, keep the candied orange or use mixed candied peel. (I regularly use clementine skins to flavor Lebkuchen, and even Panettone.)