Épice

Lebkuchen with spices

Our version of German lebkuchen: a soft honey biscuit, flavoured with Madagascar cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

  • Prep 30 min
  • Cooking 12 min
  • Total 42 min
  • Difficulty Medium

Lebkuchen is the honey and spice biscuit found throughout Germany, particularly around Christmas time. Our version combines Madagascar cinnamon, ginger and clove with a little honey, brown sugar and ground almonds.

Our family grows and prepares the cinnamon, ginger and clove in Vangaindrano, in south-eastern Madagascar. The success of this biscuit lies in a careful balance of spices and a resting time that makes shaping easier.

Method

Preparation

  1. In a saucepan, gently heat the honey, brown sugar and butter until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, ground almonds, salt and all the spices: cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and green anise.
  3. Add the egg and lemon zest to the lukewarm honey mixture, then pour over the dry ingredients. Mix until you get a soft dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl.
  4. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes: it is easier to shape once cold.
  5. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Shape balls of about 25 g and flatten them slightly between your palms to form discs about 1 cm thick. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, spacing them apart.
  6. Bake for 12 minutes: the lebkuchen should stay soft in the centre and barely golden at the edges. Leave to cool completely on the tray; they soften further after a day or two stored in an airtight tin.
  7. For the icing, melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie and dip half of each lebkuchen into it. Leave to set on a wire rack before storing in an airtight tin.
Chef's tip

The little extra that changes everything

Remember to grind the cloves just before adding them: their aroma fades quickly once ground. To choose between whole cloves and ground, see whole or ground cloves. Our homemade pain d'épices follows a different tradition, closer to France; both biscuits share the same taste for spices warmed with honey. Our products for this recipe: Madagascar cinnamon, Madagascar ground ginger, Madagascar cloves

Frequently asked questions

About this recipe

Can ground almonds be replaced with ground hazelnuts?
Yes, ground hazelnuts work just as well and bring a slightly different flavour, without changing the biscuit's texture.
Can the dough be made ahead?
Yes, the dough can be made the day before and kept wrapped in the fridge; it is even easier to shape once very cold.
Can the quantities be doubled?
Yes, all the quantities scale up equally; simply spread the biscuits over several trays so they bake evenly.
In the kitchen

Four moves with one bean

What to do with a whole bean, from the first cut to the sugar jar.

01 Split 30 s

Knife tip halfway through, one single pass along the whole length.

02 Scrape 1 min

Scrape both halves with a spoon. That black is the flavour.

03 Infuse 20 min

Seeds and bean into the hot milk, off the heat, covered.

Vanilla beans laid on a white plate
04 Reuse 1 week

Rinse the emptied bean, let it dry, then slip it into the sugar.

One bean serves twice
Exceptional ingredients

Our products for this recipe

Ground Ginger, Glass Jar (40g)
Ground Ginger, Glass Jar (40g)7,50 € 4,90 €
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