I’ve been wanting to make Lebkuchen (pronounced Layb-kutchen apparently) for a long time after I picked up a pack in Lidl’s weird and wonderful middle aisle and was hooked. For me they tick all the boxes – a lovely spicey, gingerbread taste, chocolate accents, a little crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle. They are perfect with a cup of black coffee or after a fancy meal.
They’re also not particularly difficult to make either although I did find the dough a little sticky to work with. As long as you’re careful with it though and use a little flour as and when you need to then it’s manageable. I didn’t bother tempering the chocolate I put on the Lebkuchen and it has held up fine over the last couple of weeks though if you want to make them really pretty I would suggest tempering the chocolate to get a that crisp break and shiny look.
If I’m being totally honest I made them purely for myself!! But they would make a great gift for someone all year round. And Lebkuchen seem to last pretty well too. I’ve kept my batch in a tupperware box for over two weeks now and I’ve not noticed any real drying out. In fact, they taste just as good as when I first made them.
Lebkuchen
Lebkuchen is synomymous with Christmas but there's no reason why it can't be enjoyed all year round, particularly in those dark, winter months with a steaming mug of coffee.
Melt the honey and butter together, either in a saucepan over a gentle heat or in the microwave on short bursts, stirring in between. Set aside and leave to cool for 15-20 mins
Pre-heat the oven to 160c (140c for fan ovens) an prepare two baking trays with sheets of greasproof paper.
Put ground almonds in a bowl and sieve over all the remaining dry ingredients. Mix well.
Pour in the honey and butter mixed and mix together until it forms a dough. You might find it's a little sticky at this stage but it will firm up as you mix more.
Once it is thoroughly mixed, divide it into 30 balls, place on a baking tray and press down slghtly. Alternatively, split though the dough into two. Roll balls with half the dough and with the other half roll it out to approx. 2cm thick and cut out heart shapes.
Bake in the oven for around 10-15 mins. Leave on the trays for five mins then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely
To Decorate
Mix the icing, egg white and water together in a bowl to make a runny glaze. Brush the Lebkuchen with the glaze and leave to set for 15 minutes. Repeat the process and leave to set.
Melt the chocolate gently in a microwave, or in a bain marie. Dip half the Lebkuchen bottoms into the chocolate and drizzle chocolate over the remaining biscuits
Keyword Biscuits, Cookies, german biscuits, Petit Fours, soft biscuits
Lebkuchen Soft German Biscuits
I’ve been wanting to make Lebkuchen (pronounced Layb-kutchen apparently) for a long time after I picked up a pack in Lidl’s weird and wonderful middle aisle and was hooked. For me they tick all the boxes – a lovely spicey, gingerbread taste, chocolate accents, a little crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle. They are perfect with a cup of black coffee or after a fancy meal.
They’re also not particularly difficult to make either although I did find the dough a little sticky to work with. As long as you’re careful with it though and use a little flour as and when you need to then it’s manageable. I didn’t bother tempering the chocolate I put on the Lebkuchen and it has held up fine over the last couple of weeks though if you want to make them really pretty I would suggest tempering the chocolate to get a that crisp break and shiny look.
If I’m being totally honest I made them purely for myself!! But they would make a great gift for someone all year round. And Lebkuchen seem to last pretty well too. I’ve kept my batch in a tupperware box for over two weeks now and I’ve not noticed any real drying out. In fact, they taste just as good as when I first made them.
Lebkuchen
Ingredients
For Decoration
Instructions
To Decorate