These Swiss Lebkuchen are a take on an early version of the gingerbread cookie. They are made with hazelnut and almond meal, along with honey, sugar, and cinnamon, plus some citrus and candied fruit.
There are many variations of Lebkuchen, both Swiss and German. This one was adapted by Rose Levy Beranbaum in her newest book, The Cookie Bible from a bakery, Confiserie Eichenberger, in Bern, Switzerland.
These cookies are nutty, chewy, sweet, and actually get better over time, even up to two months. Fortunately, they are also delicious right after baking.
These cookies are both crispy and chewy. Plus, they are loaded with a toasted nutty flavor, along with the flavors of citrus and ginger. They are great for prepping ahead for a potluck or for sending in the mail.
Ingredients in These Lebkuchen:
Unblanched Hazelnuts and Almonds: Toast them in the oven before grinding them into meal. Note: After toasting the hazelnuts, the skins are pretty easy to peel off just by rubbing them in a cloth or with your fingers. This step is not necessary, but some people find hazelnut skins to be bitter. You will also need whole unblanched almonds for topping the cookies.
Egg White and Lemon Zest.
From the Pantry: Sugar, honey, all purpose flower, cinnamon
Candied Ginger: You could also use a blend of candied fruit if you prefer.
To Make These Cookies:
First, toast the hazelnuts and the almonds in the oven until they are fragrant. Place them into a food processor, along with the sugar, candied ginger, and lemon zest.
Next, add the honey, egg white, and flour and cinnamon mixture, and process until everything comes together.
After that, form the dough into 1 inch balls and place them on parchment lined baking sheets. Press the balls down into disks with a juice glass and place an almond on top.
Finally, bake the cookies for about 8 to 9 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pan.
Equipment You May Need:
Food Processor: I love the traditional 14-cup Cuisinart, but any food processor brand will work. You can also make these cookies using a spice grinder for chopping the nuts, a knife for chopping the candied ginger, and then a mixer for combining the ingredients. The food processor just makes it so much easier.
Guys, these cookies are really good! It's hard to believe that they bake in just eight minutes too!
Eleven Amazing Christmas Cookie Recipes!
Swiss Lebkuchen (Christmas Cookies)
Ingredients
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) unblanced whole hazelnuts
- 50 grams (1/2 cup) whole unblanched almonds
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 20 grams (2 1/2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 22 grams (2 tablespoons plus one teaspoon) all purpose flour. I used unbleached.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 21 grams (1 tablespoon) honey
- 1 room temperature egg white
- 28 unblanched almonds for topping the cookies
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts and almonds over a half sheet pan and roast the nuts on a middle rack for about 7 minutes, until fragrant. Cool on the pan. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the nuts, sugar, candied ginger, and lemon zest and pulse until everything is finely chopped.
- Add the honey and egg white. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and the cinnamon and add it to the food processor. Process everything until combined and then turn it out into a medium bowl.
- Using a 2 teaspoon measuring spoon or cookie scoop, scoop the dough out of the bowl and roll each piece into a 1 inch ball. Place the balls, at least 1 1/2 inches appart, onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Spray the bottom of a juice glass with spray oil, and press the dough down to 1 1/2 inches (1/4 inches thick) and press an almond into the top.
- Bake for about 8 minutes on the center rack, until the edges are slightly browned. Cool the cookies on a wire rack on the pan.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Store in an airtight container after cooling.
More amazing baking books from Rose Levy Berenbaum include The Cake Bible (just re-released and updated), The Baking Bible, The Bread Bible, Rose's Baking Basics, Rose's Heavenly Cakes, and The Pie and Pastry Bible. Her books are so easy to follow and leave nothing to chance.
