This honey-sweetened cookie is often dipped in chocolate and tickles my fancy as it packed with almonds and ground hazelnuts. It is also loaded with holiday spices and dressed up with honest-to-goodness homemade candied lemon and orange peel (not the junk from the grocers), and as I said, often dipped in a chocolate shell that keeps it moist and soft.

Of all Christmas cookies on the planet, this is my most favorite, so I am most pleased to share it as part of the #ChristmasCookieExchange and #12DaysOfSourdoughCookies. Even after 50 years of being in the states, eating lebkuchen during Christmas Time in Germany is the single strongest holiday food memory I have. So I am going to had this rather challenging recipe for our on our Facebook page, which is also loaded with other holiday recipes.

Did I already say, dipped in chocolate? I’m using a block of white chocolate I have on hand this year. When cool, I may dip the white-covered cookies in dark chocolate too. And sadly my backoblaten won’t be here in time, so mine will be baked on parchment that I remove before dipping.

Often these holiday cookie/cakes are formed into circles and placed on oblaten (baking wafers, 3-inch diameter) or cut into bars. The final product is more cake-like than other cookies we eat in the USA, soft, filled with fruit and spices, these are reminiscent of the flavor of gingerbread, but are so unique that you need to take the time to make them this holiday season, just to taste them. 

SOURDOUGH LEBKUCHEN

German Lebkuchen

Serving Size:
18-24 cookies
Time:
2 days
Difficulty:
Very difficult, but worth it

Ingredients

  • ½ cup/ 113g Active Sourdough Starter
  • 2 cups/200g White rye flour
  • 1 cup/200g egg whites
  • 1 cup/120g ground almond meal
  • 1 cup/120g ground hazelnut meal
  • ½ cup/ 250g honey
  • 1 cup/220g brown sugar
  • 1 tsp/5g vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp/4g baking soda
  • 1 cup/75g each of candied lemon and orange peel
  • 4 Tbls/30g Lebkuchen spices•
  • 36 Backoblaten or large white communion wafter
  • 54 blanched, split almonds

Directions Day 1

  1. Combine the honey, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg whites in a mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously.
  2. Combine this with your starter and mix well
  3. Toss the candied lemon and orange peel with about 1/4 cup of rye flour to keep it from sticking together as you pulse it in a food processor until finely minced. Set aside.
  4. Combine remaining rye flour, with the ground nuts, baking soda, and only 4 Tablespoons of the spice* mix into a bowl and whisk to mix well. (The remaining spice can be stored for future use or mixed in for greater intensity.)
  5. Mix all the above ingredients together and stir vigorously until thoroughly combined. (You can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat for about 2 minutes). The mixture may be wet but if it is too thin to scoop onto the oblaten add some more flour, almond, or hazelnut meal.
  6. In the mixing bowl, form the dough into a ball, cover, and allow to rest in the fridge overnight.

Directions Day 2

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/165 °C and line two baking pans with parchment.
  2. Using a cookie scoop, place mixture on and Backoblat.
  3. As you go,  smooth the top and leave a slight space around the edges with the oblat showing. Set them on a lined cookie sheet ready for baking.
  4. Bake for 25-28 minutes then cool completely.

    Then follow the Daring Gourmet video with these instructions:
  5. “Once cooled, place a wire rack over a cookie sheet (to catch the drippings).
  6. “Dip half the Lebkuchen in the chocolate glaze and half in the sugar glaze, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and then place the Lebkuchen on the wire rack.
  7. “Arrange 3 almonds on each Lebkuchen while the glaze is still wet. Let the Lebkuchen dry completely until the glaze is hardened.
  8. “Keep stored in an airtight container.  It Will keep for several weeks and the flavor improves with time.
  9. “Makes about 35 if using 70mm Backoblaten and about 25 if using 90mm Backoblaten.”

    For the Chocolate Glaze:
  10. 3 ounces quality dark or milk chocolate
  11. 1 tablespoon coconut oil or oil of choice – do not use butter
  12. Directions: Place chocolate and oil in a small bowl and microwave stirring occasionally, until melted. Use immediately. If the glaze becomes firm, reheat in the microwave.

    For the Sugar Glaze:
  13. 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
  14. 3 tablespoons water
  15. Directions: Place sugar and water in a small bowl and stir until smooth.