Lebkuchen

Ingredients

• 100 g (about 2)eggs
• 160 gsugar
• 270 gwalnuts
• 70 gcandied orange
• 70 gcandied citron
• 30 gacacia honey
• ½ podvanilla
• 5 gground cinnamon
• to tastelemon zest
• 2270 mm round baking wafers
• ½ teaspoonground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoonground cloves
• ½ teaspoonground coriander
• ½ teaspooncardamom
• ½ teaspoonnutmeg
• ½ teaspoonground star anise
• 100 g52% dark chocolate
• 1 tablespoonseed oil
• to tasteblanched almonds
• to tastecandied cherries
• 70 gicing sugar
• 1 teaspoonrum
• 1 teaspoonred wine

Instructions

1. 1

   Grind the walnuts

   Pulse the walnuts with half the sugar (80 g) in a blender until finely ground, with some larger pieces remaining. Transfer to a bowl. Blend the candied orange, candied citron and honey, adding 1 tablespoon of the ground walnuts to help the mixture blend, then set aside.

2. 2

   Mix the spices

   Combine the ½ teaspoon measures of cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg and star anise in a small bowl.

3. 3

   Whisk the eggs

   Put the two whole eggs in a bowl with the remaining sugar and the seeds from half a vanilla pod. Whisk with electric beaters until frothy, then add the ground walnuts.

4. 4

   Combine the mixture

   Add the blended candied fruit, the spice mixture and 5 g of cinnamon to the egg and walnut mixture.

5. 5

   Add lemon zest

   Grate in the zest of ¼ of a lemon and mix the batter.

6. 6

   Shape the biscuits

   Take 30 g of mixture at a time. With slightly damp hands, shape it into a ball and place it in the centre of a 7 cm baking wafer. Flatten it slightly, leaving a border of about 5 mm. Repeat with the remaining mixture and arrange the biscuits on a baking-paper-lined tray.

7. 7

   Bake the lebkuchen

   Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 200°C for 13 minutes, until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and let the biscuits cool and firm up slightly before lifting them from the tray. Bake the second batch in the meantime.

8. 8

   Melt the chocolate

   For the chocolate finish, chop the chocolate and put it in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of oil. Melt it over a bain-marie, then transfer it to a bowl.

9. 9

   Dip in chocolate

   Dip the base of a biscuit in the chocolate and shake off the excess. Place it chocolate-side up on a wire rack. While the chocolate is still soft, decorate with half a candied cherry and/or a few almonds.

10. 10

    Make the punch icing

    For the punch icing, put the icing sugar in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of rum and 1 tablespoon of red wine. Mix briefly until smooth.

11. 11

    Ice and serve

    Dip the base of a lebkuchen in the icing, shake off the excess and place it icing-side up on a wire rack. Leave the biscuits to dry before serving.

What are lebkuchen?

Lebkuchen are traditional German spiced biscuits associated with the Christmas season, with a long-standing connection to Nuremberg. This version follows the flourless style, using ground walnuts and candied fruit to make a dense, fragrant mixture.

Baking wafers support each biscuit and give it its familiar base. Chocolate and punch icing offer two different finishes for the same spiced biscuit.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 197 calories, 0g protein, 22g carbs, 11g fat.

The walnuts and chocolate contribute most of the fat, while the sugar, candied fruit and wafers provide much of the carbohydrate; the eggs and walnuts also contribute some protein. Serve a lebkuchen with fresh fruit or alongside a lighter meal to balance the plate.

Walnuts and candied fruit

Walnuts: Pulse them rather than blending continuously, so the mixture retains a little texture and does not turn oily.

Candied fruit: Blend the orange and citron with honey, using a spoonful of ground walnuts to help the mixture move through the blender.

Building the spice flavour

Spice blend: Cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg and star anise give the biscuits their warm, complex aroma. Mix them together before adding them to the batter so they are distributed evenly.

Vanilla and lemon: The vanilla seeds and lemon zest add fragrance alongside the stronger spices. Use the zest of a quarter of a lemon, as specified in the method.

Shaping on the wafers

Damp hands: Lightly wetting your hands makes the sticky mixture easier to portion and shape.

Wafer border: Set each 30 g ball in the centre of a 7 cm wafer and flatten it gently, leaving about 5 mm clear at the edge. Keeping the mixture inside that border helps the biscuits retain their shape.

Baking and cooling

Oven: Bake at 200°C for 13 minutes, until the edges are golden. The recipe uses a conventional oven, so allow it to preheat before the tray goes in.

Cooling: Let the biscuits settle on the tray before moving them, as they are delicate while warm. Bake the next batch while the first one cools.

Choosing a finish

Chocolate: Dip the base in melted chocolate and place the biscuit chocolate-side up on a rack. Add candied cherry or almonds while the coating is still soft.

Punch icing: The icing sugar, rum and red wine make a smooth alternative coating. Dip only the base, let the excess run off, and leave the biscuits on a rack until dry.

Serving the biscuits

Lebkuchen suit a Christmas biscuit assortment or a simple serving with tea or coffee. Their combination of nuts, fruit and spices makes them substantial enough to serve on their own.

For a mixed batch, leave some biscuits plain, coat some with chocolate and finish others with punch icing. This gives guests a choice without changing the biscuit mixture.

Recipe notes & tips

• Pulse the walnuts in short bursts to keep some larger pieces in the mixture.
• Keep the wafer border clear when flattening each biscuit.
• Use slightly damp hands to shape the sticky mixture more easily.
• Wait for the biscuits to firm up before lifting them from the tray.
• Add the cherry or almonds before the chocolate coating sets.
• Let iced biscuits dry on a wire rack before storing or serving.

Variations

• Plain finish: Leave some biscuits uncoated after baking.
• Chocolate coating: Dip the bases in melted dark chocolate and decorate while soft.
• Punch icing: Use the icing sugar, rum and red wine mixture for a glossy finish.
• Cherry topping: Add half a candied cherry to the chocolate while it is still soft.
• Almond topping: Press a few blanched almonds onto the soft chocolate coating.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overblending the walnuts: Pulse them in short bursts so they do not become oily.
• Wet hands: Use only slightly damp hands, as excess water can make the mixture harder to shape.
• Covering the wafer: Leave the stated 5 mm border uncovered when shaping.
• Moving them too soon: Let the biscuits cool and firm slightly on the tray before lifting.
• Overbaking: Take them out after 13 minutes when the edges are golden.
• Late decoration: Add cherries or almonds while the chocolate is still soft so they adhere.

How to store

Once fully cool and dry, store the biscuits in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. They are best enjoyed within about a week; the chocolate and icing finishes may become marked if stacked before fully set. If needed, warm briefly in a low oven rather than microwaving, which can soften the coatings unevenly.

Frequently asked questions