What do you do with leftover cranberry sauce after the turkey is gone? Cranberry sauce…
Advent Lebkuchen
Lebkuchen is a traditional German cookie richly spiced with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, candied citron, lots of honey, and in my recipe there’s no added fat. When advent calendars appear in stores, you’re likely to see imported Lebkuchen. It’s the cousin of Christmas gingerbread boys and girls.
A distinctive feature of Lebkuchen is the Back Oblaten (baking wafers) that the dough is baked on. It’s an edible flour disk, very much like a communion host. Oblaten can sometimes be found at European markets, and easily online at Taste of Germany. I prefer the 70mm size but 90mm is more traditional. If you don’t use Oblaten the Lebkuchen will be just as delightful. Simply bake on n ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet.
Christmas begins for my family when the Lebkuchen is baked!
Hear about my family’s mult-culture holiday foods on Grounded By The Farm Podcast
I grew up enjoying Lebkuchen that arrived in elaborately decorated tins from family friends in Germany. Like fruitcake, Lebkuchen has a long shelf-life, so shipping is no problem. Fortunately, I saved many of those tins that I use for my Lebkuchen.
Many years ago a friend gave me her mother’s Lebkuchen recipe that I thought had just the right spice blend, but it lacked the moist-chewy texture I was looking for. Being the ‘recipe fiddler’, I added ground nuts and a few other adjustments to create this recipe that has become my family’s tradition. Sometimes there are still little tweaks I play with like whole egg vs egg whites, or almonds vs hazelnuts, to get the just-right texture. So you may want to try it a couple ways to suite your taste, or your taste memory!
My Authentic German Lebkuchen updated 12/2023
The dough can be made at least a week ahead and refrigerated until you're ready to cut and bake. If the oblaten wafer papers are not available, bake the dough rounds directly on a parchment lined baking sheet. The Lebkuchen will still be delicious!I usually have unbleached all-purpose flour on-hand. However I think bleached AP flour makes this cookie a nicer texture.
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2-1/4 cups (about 275g) all-purpose flour, preferably bleached vs unbleached if measuring by cup, lightly spoon flour into the cup then level with a table knife
- 1 Tbsp. (8grams) ground cinnamon
- 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
Wet ingredients
- 3/4 cup, scant (130g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (180g) honey I usually use clover honey
- 1 large egg or two egg whites
- 1 Tbsp. lemon or orange juice
- 1-1/2 tsp. grated lemon or orange zest
Nuts and citron
- 3 cups (270g) ground hazelnuts or almonds nut meal is recommended vs almond flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) chopped hazelnuts or almonds toasted or raw
- 1/3 cup (56g) finely chopped candied citron or lemon peel Pennant is a supermarket brand I often use
- 18-24 oblaten wafers Available in European markets or on-line
- Powdered sugar glaze or melted chocolate
- 18-24 whole hazelnuts or almonds for decorating
Sugar glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice or milk
Instructions
- Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, combine brown sugar, honey, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until well blended.
- Mix in ground nuts, chopped nuts, and citron. This step can be done in the mixer or with a spoon as the dough is stiff and somewhat sticky. Pat dough into two flat rounds. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled or up to one week.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. On a floured surface, roll dough to 3/8-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a biscuit cutter or glass the size of the Oblaten. Size 90mm (3-1/2”) is the typical Lebkuchen size. I like size 70mm (2-3/4”) and the bite-size 50mm Oblaten.
- Place each round on an Oblaten on the baking sheet. (Or directly on ungreased or parchment paper lined baking sheet). Bake at 350°F about 15 minutes (or 325°F convection 10-12 minutes) until puffed and tops look dry. Slightly more or less for larger or smaller sizes.
- If using glaze, stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice or milk. It should be thin enough to spread with a pastry brush.
- Immediately transfer baked Lebkuchen to a wire rack and brush with glaze while hot. Press a whole nut in the center of each. If using chocolate, let Lebkuchen cool before drizzling or spreading with chocolate. Lebkuchen keeps in tins or airtight containers for several months.
Notes
Oblaten wafers can be ordered on-line at Taste of Germany. They come in various sizes. I like the 70mm (2-3/4″), but 90mm is more typical.
Winter is the perfect time for baking.
Rita – 365 days a year are the perfect time for baking. Bread and sweets are year-round foods for me! I even make microwave English Muffin Toast when it’s REALLY too hot for the oven. https://www.rosemarymark.com/english-muffin-bread-perfect-for-summer/
Hi Rosemary – why use the Oblaten rounds instead of parchment? Love the sound of this cookie.
Hi Helen — thanks for your question because I should have explained Oblaten and have now added to the post. Oblaten are edible and are a distinctive feature of Lebkuchen. Lebkuchen can make without Oblaten and still taste delicious as the Oblaten doesn’t add flavor.
I made these today. OMG! I used pecans and ground pecans instead of almonds or hazelnuts. I didn’t have any lemon juice so I used blood orange juice instead. They turned out fantastic! I glazed them with a mixture of powdered sugar and blood orange juice then sprinkle glitter sugar on top. My family loves them! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thanks for sharing your variation, it sounds terrific! How did you happen to find my Lebkuchen recipe?