Quick answer: German and Austrian Christmas baking, Lebkuchen, mulled Glühwein and Vanillekipferl, rests on cinnamon, cloves, ginger and vanilla. Star anise, cardamom, nutmeg and coriander, also present in these recipes, remain common ingredients that we do not sell.
In Germany and Austria, Advent brings out pastries and drinks that are always carried by the same spices: Lebkuchen, a gingerbread found in dozens of regional forms, Glühwein, mulled wine served at Christmas markets, and Vanillekipferl, a small crescent-shaped biscuit born in Vienna. This page sets out the spices behind these classics, and the place held in them by Madagascar cinnamon, cloves, ginger and vanilla.
Lebkuchen, a gingerbread with no single blend
Lebkuchen covers a whole family of German gingerbreads whose composition varies widely from one region and one recipe to another: there is no standardised spice blend, and each baker often keeps their own proportions. The spices most often mentioned are cinnamon, which forms the largest part of the blend, cloves, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, aniseed and coriander. A German tradition, the "Neunerlei Gewürz" or nine-spice blend, brings together quatre-épices, cinnamon, ginger, aniseed, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and fennel.
Three of these spices are part of our Madagascar range: cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Cardamom, nutmeg, aniseed, coriander and fennel remain spices we do not offer. A Lebkuchen made with only our spices therefore picks up just part of the traditional blend, through cinnamon, cloves and ginger. For a home-made version with our own spices, see our home-made gingerbread.
The amount of cinnamon also varies by region: in many German recipes it is present in large quantity, while it stays discreet, or even absent, in some Eastern or Northern European versions of the same gingerbread. This regional variation explains some of the taste differences between a Nuremberg Lebkuchen and one made further north.
Glühwein, mulled wine with cinnamon and cloves
Glühwein, German and Austrian mulled wine served at Christmas markets, is made by heating red wine with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and orange or lemon peel; some versions add cardamom or a vanilla pod. Cinnamon brings the warmth of the blend, cloves and star anise more marked winter notes, and citrus peel a fruity touch.
In our range, it is cinnamon, cloves and vanilla that have a place in it. Our recipe for mulled wine with Madagascar spices picks up this base of cinnamon and cloves, without the star anise or citrus peel that we do not offer.
Vanillekipferl, vanilla at the centre
Vanillekipferl is a small crescent-shaped shortbread biscuit born in Vienna, Austria; the earliest written recipe is credited to the Austrian Katharina Prato, from Graz. It takes its name from its shape, kipferl meaning crescent, and from its flavour, vanilla, which coats the biscuit under a layer of vanilla sugar after baking. Unlike Lebkuchen, this biscuit does not carry a whole spice blend: it is vanilla, and vanilla alone, that defines it.
Our vanilla sugar and our Madagascar Bourbon vanilla powder suit this use. For a neighbouring Viennese or German pastry made with cinnamon rather than vanilla, see our spices in Christmas baking.
Working with our Madagascar spices
Without star anise, cardamom, nutmeg, coriander or fennel, our range alone will not recreate a full Lebkuchen or Glühwein. It can, however, draw inspiration from what we offer: cinnamon, cloves, ginger and vanilla powder, the vanilla grown in the SAVA region and the spices in Vangaindrano, in the northeast and southeast of Madagascar. To choose between a whole and a ground clove, see whole or ground cloves, and for vanilla in baking, vanilla in bread and pastry baking.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a single spice blend for Lebkuchen?
No. Lebkuchen covers a whole family of German gingerbreads whose composition varies from one region and one recipe to another; cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg are the spices most often mentioned.
Which spices are found in Glühwein?
Traditionally cinnamon, cloves, star anise and orange or lemon peel, sometimes cardamom or a vanilla pod.
Does Vanillekipferl contain any spices other than vanilla?
No, it is vanilla, in the form of vanilla sugar dusted on after baking, that defines this biscuit, with no other spice.
Can a German mulled wine be made with Madagascar spices?
It can draw inspiration from our cinnamon, cloves and vanilla, as our recipe for mulled wine with Madagascar spices does, but without the star anise or citrus peel.
The Vanille Désiré team
