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Friday, December 05, 2014

Nürnberger Lebkuchen Recipe




My coworker turned me on to the packaged variety of these cookes.  I especially liked the chocolate glazed ones shaped like stars.  My first recipe came from Küche Kochen, A cookbook of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia.  When I bake them with MF, we use her recipe.  The only difference is 1/4 cup of flour  and 1 tsp of soda more, and an 1/2 tsp each allspice and nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp clove, and the addition of cinnamon, 1 tsp.  Also, the glaze was a boiled glaze, cooking to the thread stage.  (okay, I admit I never it tried that glaze, lol)

MF likes a very thin glaze, just to "seal" the cookie.  She always makes these right after Thanksgiving, as these cookies are best "aged" a bit.   

Nürnberger Lebkuchen

1 cup honey
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg beaten
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp each allspice, cloves and nutmeg
1/2  tsp salt and baking soda
1/3 cup finely choppped blanched almonds
1/3 cup finely chopped citron
whole blanched almonds for garnish

Heat honey over medium heat until just bubbling.  Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Stir in brown sugar, egg, lemon juice and peel.  Cool to lukewarm.
Stir rest of ingredients together.  Add honey mxture, ground almonds and citron.  Blend well.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to two days.
Scoop with small cookie scoop and shape into balls.  Place 2 inch apart on parchment paper lined pans. Press whole almond into top and flatten slightly
Bake 375 for 10-12 minutes.

 Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix with 3 T water and 1T lemon juice to thin consistency.  Glaze tops and bottoms of cookies, allowed to dry before painting the other sides.  

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