Numberger Elisenlebkuchen German Christmas Cookie 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.

EASY GERMAN LEBKUCHEN RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine the ground spices in a small bowl or jar.
• Cover and set aside.
• This recipe makes a little more spice mix than you need for these cookies. Feel free to add more spice mix to the cookies if you'd like a stronger flavor.
• Wash oranges and lemons.
• Zest the citrus using a microplane.
• Heat water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat.
• Add zest and stir.
• Bring to a low boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Strain out the liquid and let the candied zest cool in a small bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
• This recipe will likely make a little more candied zest than you need for these cookies. Feel free to add more if you'd like a stronger flavor.
• Use a food processor to grind the almonds and hazelnuts until they're like crumbs. (But be careful that you don't grind so long that they turn into nut butter! It's ok if you have some larger nut chunks.They don't all have to be the same size.) Set ground nuts aside.
• Add the brown sugar, Lebkuchen Spice Mix, baking powder, and salt to a mixing bowl (or the food processor or the bowl of a stand mixer). Mix with a whisk or spoon until combined
• Add the candied zest and mix again.
• Add the nuts and mix.
• Add the spice mix and stir.
• And then add the honey and mix again.
• Whisk the eggs in a small bowl, then add the eggs to the dough and mix again.
• The dough should be pretty thick at this point.
• At this stage you can cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. Or you bake your cookies right away.
• When you're ready to bake your cookies, pre-head your oven to 325F/160C.
• Place the Oblaten wafers on a lined baking tray (if using).
• If using the 70mm size, spoon 2 tablespoons dough onto the middle of each wafer. If your dough immediately flattens out and spills out over the wafer, add more ground nuts (try grinding another 1/4 to 1/2 cup).
• Ideally you want the baked cookies to cover the entire wafer while keeping a domed shape. You can use lightly damp fingers to gently spread the dough towards the edge of the Oblaten. I just barely spread the dough towards the edges.
• For the cookies you want to eat plain (no glaze), you can press almonds into the dough at this stage. I totally forgot to do that so my plain cookies are very plain (still tasty, though)!
• Bake the cookies for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are browned. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.
• Add powdered sugar, water, vanilla extract, and rum extract (optional) to a small bowl and mix until there are no lumps. Adjust powdered sugar and water as needed. The sugar glaze in the recipe below should be enough to glaze half of the cookies, so double it if you want to use it for all of the cookies.
• Chop the dark chocolate and add a bit of oil (vegetable, coconut, etc). Slowly melt the chocolate in the microwave on 15-20 second intervals or in a double boiler on stove (or place a glass bowl over a saucepan that has simmering water it in). Stir frequently. When 3/4 of the chocolate has melted, simply keep stirring to melt the rest. If you want all of your cookies to have a chocolate glaze, double the recipe.
• Use a pastry brush to apply the sugar or chocolate glaze to the top of the cookies. You can also dip the cookies in the glaze (I found it easiest to use the pastry brush).
• Add almonds (whole blanched, slivered or sliced) to decorate the top of the cookies before glaze sets.
• Let the glaze dry on the cookies for 12-24 hours. Store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers of cookies. They'll keep for at least a couple weeks, longer in the freezer.

NUERNBERGER ELISENLEBKUCHEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 F or 150 C and grease cookie sheet. If you have a silicon cookie sheet, this works best.
• Cream together eggs and sugar at high speed until you have a thick yellow cream. This will take some time, but don't stop beating before the mixture is really thick and creamy!
• Mix in spices, rum, vanilla and candied peel, then fold in ground almonds, nuts and baking powder.
• Drop heaped teaspoons full of batter onto greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
• Bake at 300 degrees 25 - 35 minutes.
• For the light glaze stir together 3 1/2 ounces powdered sugar with just as much hot water that you get a thick creamy icing.
• For the dark glaze stir together 3 1/2 ounces powdered sugar with the cocoa powder, melt the coconut oil and mix with sugar and cocoa, add just enough hot water to have a smooth thick creamy icing.
• Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven glaze half of them with light and half with dark icing.
• Let cool completely and store in airtight container in a cool place.

ELISEN LEBKUCHEN GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Grind unblanched almonds and hazelnuts. Cut citron and peels VERY fine. I buy my nuts already ground. If you do grind your nuts you should add some of the flour from the recipe to the nuts so it does not turn to a butter while grinding.
• 2. In a large mixing bowl stir together fruit and nut mixture, flour and spices. Set aside
• 3. In a small mixing bowl beat two egg whites until foamy; gradually beat in sugar just till soft peaks form (tips curl over). Fold into nut mixture; stir in apricot preserves.
• 4. Spoon batter by rounded spoonfull onto baking wafers and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Smooth tops with moistened finger.
• 5. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered for 2 hours to dry. Bake at 350 for 20 to 22 minutes.
• 6. Allow to cool and ice with chocolate or powdered sugar glaze.
• 7. NOTE: Bach Oblaten Rounds can be purchased at a German deli if you have access to one. Otherwise, I have purchased these on-line through Amazon and E-Bay. I'm sure there are other on-line grocers that sell them too. I should also note that they are edible for those that are not familiar with them. Also, the do come in different sizes. The smaller the round the more cookies it yields.
• 8. NOTE: Photos are from Google Images. I will post my own when I make them this Christmas.

NUMBERGER ELISENLEBKUCHEN GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIE

Steps:

• 1. Beat eggs and sugar. Add all the spices and flavoring.
• 2. Add citron, ground almonds and baking powder. Once combined gradually add ground hazelnuts enough so you can drop it on a baking wafer with a teaspoon on a cookie sheet.
• 3. Bake SLOW on 275 to 300 degree for approximately 40 minutes. Or until done. They have to look real light brown. Remember all ovens vary so you will have to get a feel for your own.
• 4. Once cool frost and enjoy. These keep well in an air-tight container.
• 5. Note: Photos from Google Images