DISH RESEARCH · Dessert
Lebkuchen
Susan Reid’s selected lebkuchen make their own honey, light-brown-sugar, citrus and spice dough with blanched almonds and crystallized ginger. The baked slab receives a confectioners’ sugar-and-water glaze before cooling and cutting.
About Lebkuchen
Research draft based on the references below. These notes describe particular recipes and presentations; ingredient connections are still being reviewed.
Susan Reid’s selected lebkuchen are German holiday bars with honey, ground spices and a hard sugar glaze. King Arthur describes their Nuremberg association and the lively bite of crystallized ginger in this version.
Honey and light brown sugar are brought to a boil and cooled until lukewarm. Egg and the selected grated lemon and orange peels join them before flour, baking soda, blanched almonds and the spices are added.
Finely ground crystallized ginger goes into the same stiff, sticky dough. After an overnight chill, it is rolled on a lightly floured surface and transferred to a greased, parchment-lined rectangular pan.
The baked slab is moved to a rack and brushed immediately with its own glaze of confectioners’ sugar and the selected water. A little of the glaze is allowed to soak in before another layer is applied.
Once completely cool, the slab is cut into small bars. Reid suggests hot tea alongside these spiced sweets; this recipe’s grated citrus and crystallized ginger keep it distinct from other lebkuchen preparations.
Ingredients in Lebkuchen
Recorded ingredient connections, rather than a complete recipe. Explore an ingredient for more detail.
- Wheat flourbase
- Honeysweetener
- Whole Almondbase
- Hazelnutbase
- Mixed baking spicesseasoning
- Confectionery coatingcoating
- Eggbinder
- Sugarsweetener
- Batterbase
Ingredient connections awaiting review. Versions and preparation vary.
Origins & food traditions
Explore the countries and cooking traditions associated with this dish. These connections do not establish a single birthplace or limit where the dish is eaten today.
Countries
Cuisines & regions
Associations in the cited sources
These describe source-specific cultural or geographic connections. Catalogue links may still need review.
- Countries & places
- Germany
- Cooking traditions
- German-style