For Christmas: lebkuchen
Enough of this sorrow and pain—now for something completely different, something for the holidays. It’ll help you gain your requisite .81 pounds and then some.
Those of you who’ve read this blog for a long time are probably familiar with the following family recipe, which I’ve posted here before. But here it is again for anyone who may have missed it. The recipe was brought over from Germany by my ancestors sometime in the mid-1800s, and when I was growing up it was my favorite of all the wonderful treats cooked by my great-aunt Flora, a baker of rare gifts. She and my great-uncle were not only exceptionally wonderful people, but to my childish and wondering eyes they looked very much like Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.
The name of the treat is lebkuchen. But it’s quite a different one from the traditional recipe, which I don’t much care for. This is sweet and dense, can be made ahead, and keeps very well when stored in tins. That is, if you can resist the urge to devour it immediately, and good luck with that.
Flora’s Lebkuchen:
(preheat the oven to 375 degrees)
1 pound dark brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
4 oz. chopped dates
1 cup raisins
1 tsp. orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. lemon juice
Sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon).
Beat the eggs and brown sugar together with a rotary beater till the mixture forms the ribbon. Add the orange juice, lemon juice, and extracts to it.
Add the dry mixture to it, a little at a time, stirring.
Add the raisins, dates, and walnuts.
Grease and flour two 9X9 cake pans. Put batter in pans and bake for about 25 minutes (or a little less; test the cake with a cake tester to see if it’s done). You don’t want it to get too dark and dry on the edges, but the middle can’t still be wet when tested.
Meanwhile, make the frosting.
Melt about 6 Tbs. of unsalted butter and add 2 Tbs. hot milk, and 1 Tbs. almond extract. Add enough confectioner’s sugar to make a frosting of spreading consistency (the recipe says “2 cups,” but I’ve always noticed that’s not usually correct). You can make even more frosting if you like a lot of frosting.
Let cake cool to at least lukewarm, and spread generously with the frosting. Then cut into small pieces and store (or eat!).
I have absolutely no powers of resistance for this particular treat.
I think I gained my .81 pounds just reading the recipe. That is really rich.
Thanks, Neo. We won’t be at home much this Xmas but I really want to try this soon. Merry Christmas.
Made it last week. As good the upmpteenth time as the first time. I added some dried orange peel, coriander and ginger to go along with the cinnamon.
My mother’s lebkuchen recipe resulted in much harder bars. I prefer the chewier bars of Neo’s recipe, though added spices such as my mother had.
Gringo:
I’m gratified.
The recipe certainly can take extra spices, if that’s what you like.
I agree that the traditional kind is rather hard and dry. I don’t like it.
Neo, another change: I didn’t add the frosting this time. It tasted SO good before adding frosting, I decided- why bother? What is it they say about gilding a lily? Perhaps I should have added frosting to some, so I could compare frosting with no frosting.
My mother’s lebkuchen also had frosting.
Gringo:
It’s good without frosting.
But I LOVE frosting, so for me that’s the best part.
Three years ago I tried your recipe for the first time and our German exchange student was moved to tears “just like Grandma’s.” We’ve served it each year since. My daughter and I agree the frosting “is the best”. Thanks for much for sharing.
MamaTod:
Thanks—that’s high praise indeed!
Neo, just checking on the frosting recipe. Is that one tablespoon of almond extract, or teaspoon? My almond extract is very potent, seems like a full tablespoon might be quite a lot. Thanks for this recipe.
Dan D:
It is indeed a tablespoon, which makes for a very almond-flavored frosting. There’s no reason you can’t start with a teaspoon, taste it, and see if that’s enough for you. It’s really an individual thing, based on what you like.