RECIPES
LEBKUCHEN (GERMAN GINGERBREAD & CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Traditional Christmas Baking, Sugar Free, Healthy Eating, Organic
Ideas and recipes from sunny Australia, for nourishing,
wholesome foods, prepared
with holistic ingredients that
love you back.
If you have ever visited Germany during the Adventszeit you have probably been to one of the beautiful Christkindlmarkts.
These Christmas markets date back to the 1600s and are full of lights, arts & crafts, lots of Gluehwein and (my favourite) the BEST Christmas cookie: Lebkuchen. The Nürnberger are probably the most famous but I insist that my moms are the best tasting in the world!
Together with my grandmother they must have made a few thousand over the years as my whole family loves them and they belong to Christmas like the baubles on the tree.
The taste takes me straight back to my childhood when December was such a special time of the year. We could hardly wait for snow to fall and run out with the sled or skies and race down the little hill in the village. Advent was full of winter lights, delicous cookies, festive songs and the unbearable anticipation of what Christkind would leave under the tree.
Finally the evening of the 24th of December would come and I can still see glowing faces of everyone gathering around the tree and the evening was beautiful. I am such a lucky girl to have these memories.
My mom knows how much I love these gingerbread cookies and since living abroad she has always managed to send some my way. Anette (my sister) took some to Bangkok when we spent Chrissi there, some traveled to Edinburgh and of course she brought the original ingredients on her visit to Australia. Thanks mom they tasted delicious in spring, too!
She was happy to share our family recipe for the blog. I made a few small adjustments but basically that’s all the magic you need to make them.
Last week I thought I’ll skip making them this year as they contain gluten but somehow I realised that embracing my traditions is also showing gratitude for my upbringing and my family’s traditions. They tasted delicious and I am grateful for every bite.
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH (makes 24)
250 gr flower (I used spelt)
5 dates
50 gr Orangeat*
50 gr Zitroneat*
50 gr butter
125 gr walnuts
1-2 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp of Chinese Five Spices
(In Germany use Lebkuchengewuerz)
cinamon & cloves
1/4 cup of honey
1 tbsp raw cacao
1/4 cup of coffee (optional)
1 tbsp baking soda
(In Germany use 10 gr Hirschhornsalz)
zest of one lemon
In a bowl crack eggs and mix with honey until liquid. In a separate bowl combine flower with baking soda and add to egg mixture.
Blender nuts, Orangeat, Zitroneat and dates until crumbly and fold into cake mix.
Lastly add all the spices and then shape dough into dome cookies.
Bake for 15 min at 160 C. Once they begin to smell they are usually ready.
Let cool completely before adding the chocolate coat.
CHOCOLATE COATING
80 gr of raw cacao butter
55 gr of raw cacao
2 tbsp of coconut nectar/agave
Melt the raw cacao butter in a water bath (don’t boil). Stir in the sweetener and lastly the raw cacao until you have a smooth liquid chocolate substance. Coat the cookies with chocolate and cool in the fridge.
You can store Lebkuchen in a glass container in the fridge with some fresh apple wedges (take these out after three days). Cookies will last for up to four weeks in the fridge.
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