Taste and Occasion
Since I went among the gingerbread bakers a few years ago, I have always enjoyed trying out new varieties. For example, the almond gingerbreads without nuts and flour and the soft gingerbreads without soaking.
This year it was the turn of traditional Elisenlebkuchen. These are exceptionally high-quality wafer gingerbreads. Nothing with masses of cheap flour, glucose-fructose syrup, flavors and artificial additives. What is to be offered to the public under the name Elisenlebkuchen must meet certain criteria.
Even if I cannot call my alternative the original Nuremberg Elisenlebkuchen, because they were not made in Nuremberg: Taste and consistency correspond in my opinion to the quality standard 😉 .
Ingredients
And what's in it? The guidelines for fine pastry and confectionary of the German Food Book state that "finest wafer gingerbread" must contain at least 25% almonds, hazelnuts and/or walnuts. No other oil seeds and less than 10% cereal.
The foundation of my flourless gingerbreads are candied orange and lemon peel (which fit here, although I don't like them otherwise), nuts and almonds as well as brown sugar and honey.
In my baking books I have found gingerbread recipes that use up to 250 grams of sugar for the same amount of nuts. You can't taste anything of the gingerbread anymore!
The result with this recipe so pleasantly sweet, as well. And incredibly tempting! Juicy Elisen-Gingerbreads, homemade, don't have to rest but are immediately ready to eat and soft.
How to make the German Gingerbread
Let's start with a short summary on how to make the delicious German Gingerbread. Chop the candied orange peel and candied lemon peel very finely - preferably with a good kitchen shredder or food processor.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 302°F / 150 °C. Beat eggs with sugar until the mixture is frothy. Add honey and all other ingredients and mix them briefly to a homogenous mass.
Fold in the candied orange peel and candied lemon peel. If the dough is extremely moist, use 1 extra tablespoon of almonds / nuts. Now, pour the gingerbread dough with a gingerbread bell onto approx. 25 small wafers with a diameter of 2 inches (5 cm) or 15 wafers with a diameter of (2.75 inches) 7 cm.
Alternatively, spread the dough slightly dome-shaped with any other tool you have at hand. Bake the gingerbread for about 20 minutes, depending on the size. Let the gingerbread cool down and spread it with liquid chocolate coating or icing as desired.
Top Tip
To spread the mixture, I use my gingerbread bell. (Yeah, in Germany we got stuff like that.) But you will see: Making German Christmas gingerbread yourself is really not difficult at all!
Recipe Card
Easy German Gingerbread Recipe
Ingredients
For the dough
- 80 grams (½ cups) candied orange peel
- 80 grams (½ cups) candied lemon peel
- 3 eggs, medium-sized
- 80 grams (0.4 cups) brown sugar , or coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey , liquid
- 270 grams (2.3 cups) hazelnuts , ground; and/or almonds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon gingerbread spice
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest, grated
For the coating
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) couverture
Instructions
- Chop the candied orange peel and candied lemon peel very finely - preferably with a good kitchen shredder or food processor. Preheat oven to 302°F / 150 °C.
- Beat the eggs with the sugar until frothy. Add honey and all other ingredients and mix briefly to a homogenous mass. Fold in candied orange peel and candied lemon peel. If the dough is extremely moist, use 1 tablespoon more almonds / nuts.
- Pour the gingerbread dough with a gingerbread bell onto approx. 25 small wafers with a diameter of 2 inches (5 cm) or 15 wafers with a diameter of (2.75 inches) 7 cm; alternatively, spread the dough slightly dome-shaped. Bake the gingerbread for about 20 minutes, depending on the size.
- Let the gingerbread cool down and spread with liquid chocolate coating or icing as desired. Store in a tin can.
Ingredient substitutions
Similar Recipes
The Elisen gingerbread is a traditional snack in Germany, especially popular during Christmas season. In case you are looking for some more Christmas baking inspiration, how about a quick recipe for Christmas cookies?
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