Braune Lebkuchen Recipes

AUTHENTIC GERMAN LEBKUCHEN (NüRNBERGER ELISENLEBKUCHEN)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Toss the candied lemon and orange peel with about 1/4 cup all-purpose flour to keep it from sticking together and then pulse in a food processor until finely minced. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the sugar, honey and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
• Add the ground almonds and hazelnuts, salt, baking powder, Lebkuchengewürz, and candied lemon and orange peels 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 will be wet but if it is too thin to scoop onto the oblaten add some more almond or hazelnut meal.
• Scoop the mixture onto the Backoblaten, smoothing down the top and leaving just a slight space around the edges. Set them on a lined cookie sheet.
• Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove the cookie sheet and allow to cool completely.
• Once cooled, place a wire rack over a cookie sheet (to catch the drippings). 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. Arrange 3 almonds on each Lebkuchen while the glaze is still wet. Let the Lebkuchen dry completely until the glaze is hardened.
• Keep stored in an airtight container. Will keep for several weeks and the flavor improves with time.
• Makes about 35 if using 70mm Backoblaten and about 25 if using 90mm Backoblaten.

BRAUNE LEBKUCHEN

Steps:

• Boil honey, sugar and butter together for five minutes; cool.
• Beat egg and add to water.
• Sift dry ingredients together.
• Add sifted dry ingredients to honey mixture alternatively with egg/water mixture.
• Add nuts and citron last.
• Cover and chill at least overnight.
• If the dough is allowed to ripen in the refrigerator for several days before rolling out, the flavor and texture of the cookies are improved.
• Roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut with fancy cookie cutters.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake for 15 or 20 minutes, depending on your oven (taking care not to scorch).
• Ice with colored icing or a sugar glaze.
• To make glaze, mix powdered sugar and water together to make it the consistency of thin cream.