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Eat like a German - German Recipe:
Honiglebkuchen (Honey Lebkuchen)
Honiglebkuchen (Honey Lebkuchen)
Honiglebkuchen
[ source: Imkerei-Loechner.de]

Serves: 50

Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:

Berner Honiglebkuchen are Lebkuchen traditionally made in Berne, Switzerland. Distinguished from other Lebkuchen by their sometimes elaborate sugar decorations, they are not to be confused with the Berner Haselnusslebkuchen, another Bernese specialty.

Bakers recommend taking the Lebkuchen together with café au lait, in which the cake can also be dunked to improve its flavour. If eaten in this manner, even Lebkuchen hardened by months of exposure to air remain appetizing. Together with their hazelnut counterpart, Honiglebkuchen are the signature product of Bernese bakers and are particularly popular in the December holiday season, as well as with tourists throughout the year. Recently, Honiglebkuchen whose decoration can be customised through Internet services have also become popular.

[ source: wikipedia ]

Ingredients:

  • ¾ C Honey (250g)
  • ¾ C + 3 Tbsp Sugar (200g)
  • 4 Tbsp melted Butter (50g)
  • 2 Tbsp Raw Sugar
  • 1/3 C whole Almonds, ground (app. ½ C ground) (40g)
  • ¼ C + 1 tsp each Candied Lemon and Orange Peel, finely chopped (50g each)
  • 2 tsp (10 g) Hirschhornsalz (powdered baking ammonia)
  • ½ tsp Cinnamon
  • Pinch* each of ground Cloves, Mace, Cardamom, Allspice, and Ginger (spices to total 1 tsp)

[OR use the 1tsp of the Lebkuchen spice mixture provided with the Lebkuchenhaus recipe!]

  • 4-1/2 C Flour (600g)
  • ¾ C Cocoa (unsweetened) (50g)
  • Pinch* of Salt
  • A little Milk as needed

For decoration:

  • 2 C Powdered Sugar (250g)
  • 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice


GermanDeli.com - German Food Store


Procedure:

In a small saucepan, warm together the honey, sugar, and melted butter until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool. Mix together the raw sugar, ground almonds, and the finely-chopped lemon and orange peel. Set aside. Dissolve the Hirschhornsalz in a little water. In another bowl, combine the spices, flour, pinch of salt, and cocoa. Mix well. Add the cooled honey-butter mixture, the nut mixture, and the dissolved Hirschhornsalz. Knead together well. (The dough should be slightly dry, but if it is so dry that it falls apart, add a little milk as needed.) Allow to sit overnight at room temperature.

The next day, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Knead well once more.. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a little flour, roll out the dough very thin (app. ¼”) and cut into heart, star, angel, and tree shapes. Bake app. 10 minutes. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Fill a decorator tube with the mixture. Decorate the Lebkuchen as desired.

Store in an airtight container.

* A knifetip is literally measured by the amount fitting on the tip of a butterknife. A pinch is measured as the amount that fits on one’s thumbnail. (Wash your hands first, of course!)




Cathy Lemmon
Cathy Lemmon

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