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lebkuchen-msg – 5/18/11

 

Period lebkuchen cookies. Recipes.

 

NOTE: See also the files: cookies-msg, desserts-msg, candy-msg, gingerbread-msg, sugar-msg, chocolate-msg, Sugarplums-art, sotelties-msg, 14C-Sweets-art, Digby-Cakes-art, Digby-Cakes-msg.

 

************************************************************************

NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given  by the individual authors.

 

Please respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these messages. The copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear  at this time. If information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

 

Thank you,

   Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                         Stefan at florilegium.org

************************************************************************

 

Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 13:00:00 -0500

From: vjarmstrong at aristotle.net (Valoise Armstrong)

Subject: SC - Lebkuchen

 

Cariadoc and Allison have both mentioned Lebkuchen. I'd like to shine a

little light on the topic. Lebkuchen was also know as Lebzelten in period

and was indeed baked and crisp. In urban areas there were Lebkuchners or

Lebzeltners who specialized in baking this particular dish. In

_Kunstgeschichte des Backwerks_, edited by Hans Juergen Hansen, there is a

woodcut (dated 1520) showing a Lebzeltner at work, pulling the finished

cakes out of the oven. I think Nuremburg was especially famous for their

Lebkuchen.

 

They rolled out dough was pressed into round or rectangular oiled molds

made of clay or wood that were decorated with designs. In _Kunstgeschichte

des Backwerks_ there are photos of several molds. They remind me of the

ceramic molds I've seen people use for shortbread. I think the used to sell

them at Rolling Pin and similar stores. These were also used for fancy

marzipan.

 

This was baked sweet of flour and honey (sugar was added late in period but

didn't totally replace the honey). Spices added could be cinnamon, mace,

ginger, cloves, anise, pepper, and coriander. I haven't ever seen a recipe

with the dried fruit and nuts called for in modern recipes or with the

sugar glaze that some recipes also call for. Other than that, the modern

unleavened Lebkuchen recipes do resemble ones eaten in period.

 

Kuchenmeyserey, Sabina Welser, and Philipinne Welser all have Lebkuchen

recipes. The one that follows is from Sabina Welser and the most detailed

one I've found.

 

Valoise

 

163   To make Nürnberger Lebkuchen

 

       Take one quart of honey, put it into a large pan, skim it well and

let it boil a good while. Put one and a half pounds of sugar into it and

stir it continually with a wooden spatula and let it cook for a while, as

long as one cooks an egg, pour it hot into a quarter pound of flour, stir

it around slowly and put the described spices in the dough, stir it around

slowly and not too long; take one and a half ounces of cinnamon sticks, one

and a half ounces of nutmeg, three fourths of an ounce of cloves, three

ounces of ginger, a pinch of mace, and chop or grind each one separately so

that they are not too small, the cinnamon sticks, especially, should be

coarsely ground. And when you have put the spices in the dough, then let

the dough set for as long as one needs to hard boil eggs. Dip the hands in

flour and take a small heap of dough, make balls out of it, weigh them so

that one is as heavy as the others, roll them out with a rolling pin, and

spread them out smoothly by hand, the smoother the prettier. After that dip

the mold in rose water and open it up. Take four ounces of dough for one

Lebkuchen. Be careful and get no flour in the molds or else they will be no

good, but on the board you can put flour so that they do not stick to it.

Let them set overnight. And when you take them to the baker, then see to it

that you have another board that is thoroughly sprinkled with flour, so

that it is very thickly covered. Put the board with its covering of flour

into the oven so that the board is completely heated, the hotter the

better. Take it out afterwards and lay the Lebkuchen on top, so that none

touches the other, put them in the oven, let them bake and look after them

frequently. At first they will become soft as fat. If you take hold of them

you can feel it well. And when they become entirely dry, then take them out

and turn the board around, so that the front part goes into the back of the

oven. Let it remain a short while, then take it out. Take a small broom,

brush the flour cleanly away from the underside of the Lebkuchen and lay

the Lebkuchen, in the mean time, on the other board, until you have brushed

off the Lebkuchen, one after the other, so that there is no more flour on

the bottoms. Afterwards sweep the flour very cleanly from off the board.

Lay the Lebkuchen on top of it again, so that the bottom is turned to the

top. Take a bath sponge, dip it in rose water, squeeze it out again, wash

the flour from the bottoms of the Lebkuchen. Be careful that you do not

leave any water on the board, then they would stick to it. Afterwards put

the board with the Lebkuchen again in the oven, until the bottoms rise

nicely and become hard, then take the board out again. See to it that two

or three [people] are by the board, who can quickly turn the Lebkuchen

over, or else they will stick. Afterwards take rose water and wash them on

top with it as you have done on the underside. Put them in the oven again,

let them become dry, carry them home and move them around on the board, so

that they do not stick. And when they have completely cooled, then lay them

eight or ten, one upon the other, wrap them in paper and store them in a

dry place, see that no draft comes therein, then they remain crisp.

 

 

Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 13:34:52 -0500

From: vjarmstrong at aristotle.net (Valoise Armstrong)

Subject: SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #914 (lebkuchen house)

 

Alys Katharine wrote:

>Now, posing a "Cariadoc-type" question, is there any evidence that

>lebkuchen was used to make structural subtleties?  There is, I believe,

>for gingerbread.  But what about lebkuchen?

 

In _Kunstgeschichte des Backwerks_ there is a wood cut of a lebkuchen house

on page 130. Says it dates from the end of the 15th C. and is a detail

taken from "Das Schlauraffenlandt" ot The Land of Milk and Honey. This is a

fantasy themed picture, but maybe there is some basis for the depiction of

the lebkuchen house is actual practice. Remember the gingerbread house in

Hansel and Gretel? How old was that folk tale before the brothers Grimm

wrote it out?

 

Valoise

 

 

Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 17:53:02 -0500

From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>

Subject: RE: SC - gingerbread, lebkuchen, nurnberger

 

> Uh, What IS this "lebkuchen"? Or this "Nurnberger"?

>   Stefan li Rous

 

Lebkuchen is a spice cookie or bar.  The name is generic and covers a

multitude of variations.  I tend to make it by the baking sheet, and have

played with reverse-engineering a modern recipe to something more period

because I couldn't find a period recipe.

 

Nurnberger would likely be a variant developed in Nurnberg.

 

Bear

 

 

Date: Mon, 07 Sep 1998 09:35:55 +0100

From: Robyn Probert <robyn.probert at lawpoint.com.au>

Subject: RE: SC - gingerbread, lebkuchen, nurnberger

 

>Lebkuchen is a spice cookie or bar.  The name is generic and covers a

>multitude of variations.  I tend to make it by the baking sheet, and have

>played with reverse-engineering a modern recipe to something more period

>because I couldn't find a period recipe.

 

I make mine with a family recipie handed down through many generations. It

has a very period ingredient list (including flour, honey, fine ground

preserved peel, ground nuts, cardamom and so on - no raising) and starts by

soaking the spices in the honey overnight. It bakes to a crisp finish with a

very "medieval" flavour. We cut them out in shapes (mostly animlas) and ice

them with an egg/sugar/lemon juice mix (each shape has a trad icing pattern

too). Flavour improves with keeping and even more with being hung in a

christmas tree overnight!

 

I also have a version made with rye flour - I'll try to bring them in

tommorrow...

 

Rowan

 

 

Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 18:12:40 -0800 (PST)

From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: SC - lebkuchen

 

- --- Stefan li Rous <stefan at texas.net> wrote:

> Huette said:

> > And it is not difficult to make.  There were several

> > recipes for lebkuchen in Sabina Welserin, if I remember correctly.

> Ok, so what is this "lebkuchen"? And some recipes from period

> sources would be nice.

 

Here is what you asked for

 

Huette

 

+++++++++++

 

>From "Das Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin", 1553.

 

151 To bake good Lebkuchen

 

Take first a pound of sugar, a quart of clear honey,

not quite a third quart of flour, take two and a half

ounces of cinnamon, one and a half ounces of cloves,

two ounces of cardamom. Cut the other spices as

small as possible, the cinnamon sticks are ground as

coarsely as possible. Also put ginger therein and put

the sugar into the honey, let it cook together, put

the flour in a trough, pour the cardamom into it first,

afterwards the ginger and the other spices.

 

163 To make Nurnberger Lebkuchen

 

Take one quart of honey, put it into a large pan, skim

it well and let it boil a good while. Put one and a

half pounds of sugar into it and stir it continually

with a wooden spatula and let it cook for a while, as

long as one cooks an egg, pour it hot into a quarter

pound of flour, stir it around slowly and put the

described spices in the dough, stir it around slowly

and not too long; take one and a half ounces of

cinnamon sticks, one and a half ounces of nutmeg,

three fourths of an ounce of cloves, three ounces of

ginger, a pinch of mace, and chop or grind each one

separately so that they are not too small, the

cinnamon sticks,

especially, should be coarsely ground. And when you

have put the spices in the dough, then let the dough

set for as long as one needs to hard boil eggs. Dip

the hands in flour and take a small heap of dough,

make balls out of it, weigh them so that one is as

heavy as the others, roll them out with a rolling pin,

and spread them out smoothly by hand, the smoother the

prettier. After that dip the mold in rose water and

open it up. Take four ounces of dough for one

Lebkuchen. Be careful and get no flour in the molds or

else they will be no good, but on the board you can

put flour so that they do not stick to it. Let them

set

overnight. And when you take them to the baker, then

see to it that you have another board that is

thoroughly sprinkled with flour, so that it is very

thickly covered. Put the board with its covering of

flour into the oven so that the board is completely

heated, the hotter the better. Take it out afterwards

and lay the Lebkuchen on top, so that none touches the

other, put them in the oven, let them bake and look

after them frequently. At first they will become soft

as fat. If you take hold of them you can feel it well.

And when they become entirely dry, then take them out

and turn the board around, so that the front part goes

into the back of the oven. Let it remain a short

while, then take it out. Take a small broom, brush the

flour cleanly away from the underside of the Lebkuchen

and lay the Lebkuchen, in the mean time, on the

other board, until you have brushed off the Lebkuchen,

one after the other, so that there is no more flour

on the bottoms. Afterwards sweep the flour very

cleanly from off the board. Lay the Lebkuchen on top

of it again, so that the bottom is turned to the top.

Take a bath sponge, dip it in rose water, squeeze it

out again, wash the flour from the bottoms of the

Lebkuchen. Be careful that you do not leave any water

on the board, then they would stick to it. Afterwards

put the board with the Lebkuchen again in the oven,

until the bottoms rise nicely and become hard, then

take the board out again. See to it that two or three

[people] are by the board, who can quickly turn the

Lebkuchen over, or else they will stick. Afterwards

take rose water and wash them on top with it as you

have done on the underside. Put them in the oven

again, let them become dry, carry them home and move

them around on the board, so that they do not

stick. And when they have completely cooled, then lay

them eight or ten, one upon the other, wrap them

in paper and store them in a dry place, see that no

draft comes therein, then they remain crisp.

 

164 To make a large Nurnberger Lebkuchen

 

Take a quart of honey and a quarter pound of sugar,

prepare it as for the smaller Lebkuchen, take one

quarter pound of flour and then the spices as follows:

one half ounce of cinnamon, one ounce of cloves,

one and three fourths ounces of nutmeg, four ounces of

ginger, one fourth ounce of mace. Stir it carefully

around, afterwards roll the dough out somewhat. Bake

it as for the smaller Lebkuchen.

 

 

Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 12:15:24 -0500 (EST)

From: cclark at vicon.net

Subject: Re: SC - lebkuchen

 

Huette wrote:

>151 To bake good Lebkuchen

> ...

>163 To make Nurnberger Lebkuchen

> ...

>164 To make a large Nurnberger Lebkuchen

> ...

 

If I recall correctly, the word in the original text (for at least one or

more of these recipes) was "lezelten" or "lebzelten." As far as I know this

is a synonym for lebkuchen.

 

Alex Clark/Henry of Maldon

 

 

Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 06:17:02 -0800

From: Valoise <varmstro at zipcon.net>

Subject: Re: SC - lebkuchen

 

margali wrote:

> think of it [at least the commercial versian that I get at the PX] as

> gingerbread/fruitcakey cookies made on a base of oblaten and occasionally glazed

> with sugar or chocolate. I just dissected [ok, ok, I ate it..] one and found

> some sort of candied fruit bits, and some definitely nut bits, and it is in a

> cakelike cookie of a spicy-like-gingerbread soft cookie on a papery oblaten.

 

This is a great description of modern Lebkuchen. But the period

version is quite a bit different. It contains no candied fruit or

nuts. The dough of flour, honey, spices and sometimes sugar was

pressed into molds and turned out to bake until crisp. The best

version of the molds that I've seen for sale in to US are at The House

on the Hill

<http://www.houseonthehill.net>

 

Many people probably purchased the Lebkuchen already made since

Lebkuchners had their own guilds.

 

Valoise

 

 

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 01:17:31 +0100

From: Thomas Gloning <Thomas.Gloning at germanistik.uni-giessen.de>

Subject: SC - lebkuchen -- 2 recipes (16th c. German only; sorry)

 

Several German recipes only _mention_ lebkuchen or letzelten as an

ingredient that is already at hand to produce some other dish. Here are

two further recipes for lebkuchen/letzelten from German cookbooks (1545,

1560). In one of them, the lebkuchen are finally baked in the oven of a

"Lebkuechner", mentioned by Valoise: "lass bachen bey einem

Lecku:echner/ die haben o:efen darzu" ('let them bake by a Lebkuechner,

they have the right ovens to that purpose').

 

*****************************************

Kochbuch der Philippine Welser (ca. 1545, p. 180f.)

 

"Vie man die Lezelten bacht

 

Item nim Waitzen Mehl vnnd Hönig, das wol

haiß ist, vnnd mach ain Taig, vnnd laß den

taig wol khneten, das man den finger kaimb

darein steckhe, vnnd mach fladen die aines

halben finger dickh werden, vnnd thue die

In ain haffen, Nachdem Prats, vnd wan

die Fladen schön Praun werden, so nimb die wider

aus dem Ofen, vnnd laß Sy erkhulen, so werden

sy hort, Darnach laß die fladen stossen mit

aim Stössl, auf aim schön sauberen Tischthuch,

zu klainen Stuckhlen, Darnach thus In die

Stampff, das mans schön sauber pfeit. dornach

nim wider honig, vnnd laß das wol wermen,

das wol haiß ist, vnnd geuß das ain,

vnnd nim Aniß, vnnd Pfeffer ain Halb

vierdung, Zimmet Rinden anderthalb lott,

Nagelein gleich souiel, Muscat Nuß

ain lott, Ingwer drey oder vier Lott, willt

du des Taigs aber mehr haben, so muest

du aber mehr Gewurtz darein thun,

magst den Taig wol versuchen wird Es

dich dunckhen, das nicht genueg gestupfft

oder gewurtzt sey magst dus woll verbessern,

vnnd laß den Taig nit zu Gach mit den Mehl

vberschitten, laß auch den Taig nit zu vast knetten,

vnnd mach lezellten darauß, vnnd machs nit

zu dinn Darnach thue die In den Offen,

Nachdem Prat das der Offen nur nit zu haiß

sey, du must gueten vleiß haben, damit Sy

dir nit verprinnen, vnnd wan Sy praun werden

so nimbß herrauß."

 

*********************************

Ein sehr Kuenstlichs vnd fuertrefflichs Kochbuch ... (ca. 1560; Nr. 39)

 

"Leckuchen bachen der kleinen/ So man 21. fu:er ein gu:elden gibt.

 

NJm ein grossen Leckuchen/ der dick vnd schwer ist/ oben braun/ wol

gepfeffert/ auch ein fein gros stuck Jngwer drauff/ nim den/ vnnd reibe

jn klein/ vn{d} rede jn durch ein syblein/ so bleibet das grob im

Syblein/ nim dasselb grob/ thu es in ein mu:elterlein/ Nim ein vierteil

ho:enig/ vn{d} gestossen zucker drey lot/ thu es in ein Kesselein/ das

ho:enig vnd zucker auch/ Lass zergehn/ vnnd nicht sieden/ Wann es

zergangen ist/ geus es in das Mu:elterlein/ darinn das grob ist/ So

zergehet es im ho:enig vnd zucker/ ru:ers/ nim ein hand vol geribne

Leckuchen/ thus darein zum ho:enig ins mu:elterlein/ ru:ere es abermal

durch einander/ thue drey lot Muscat zerschniten drein/ gro:eblet/ nim

vier lot neglein auch zerschniten/ vn{d} vil zymetrinden/ auch gro:eblet

schneiden/ thu das alles in den taig/ weil er noch du:enn ist/ nachmals

nim jn/ vnnd ru:ere den wol durch einander/ thu den geribenen Leckuchen

darein/ so wirdt er dick in dem Mu:elterlein/ das man jhn ru:eren kan/

mit einem hu:eltzen scheuffelein/ Darnach behalte des geribenen

Leckuchens/ strewe den in ein eckelein/ thu den taig darauff/ nim

waitzenma:el/ Du must drey taiglein machen/ thu es auff ein tisch/ nim

vber ein weil wenig ma:el zu/ vnd wu:ercke jhn ab/ wie die gewelgerten

ku:echlein/ vnnd nit an henden klebe/ er mus trucken sein/ welches

pletzlein gewelgert ist/ Leg solche fein nach einander/ Strewe ma:el

auff den tisch/ damit sie sich nit anlegen/ Nim ein wag/ wig neun lot/

wie gros dann du sie haben wilt/ welgere die fein mit einem welgerholtz/

vnd strewe jmmer ma:el drunter/ doch nicht zu vil/ Nim mer ein holtz wie

ein welgerholtz/ breit vnnd dick wie ein Lecku:echlein/ vnd ist drey

finger dick/ nim den gewelgerten taig zu eim ku:echlein/ vnd melbe das

holtz/ trucks auff den Leckkuchen/ das gewelgert ist/ so ists eben so

breit vnd so lang/ wie ein Lecku:echlein. Darnach nim eins oder sechs/

die gedruckt sein/ lege die nach einander/ Nim ein holtz/ darauff

geschnitten ist etwan eins fingers breit/ so gibt es einen form/ Darnach

kere das ma:el herab/ das sie nicht melbig sein/ strewe ein ma:el auff

ein brot/ lege die Lecku:echlein drauff/ lass bachen bey einem

Lecku:echner/ die haben o:efen darzu. Als ich den Zucker hab genommen/

seind bey zwo:elff Lecku:echlein/ die geriben alda gewesen/ hab mehr

sechs mas ho:enig/ vnd drey lot zucker/ auch gewu:ertz oben drauff thon/

vnd sind der Leckku:echlein 110. worden/ wie die kleinen

Ru:empffelka:eslein."

 

Thomas

 

 

Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 17:20:20 -0800 (PST)

From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>

Subject: SC - lebkuchen was leberkuchen

 

- --- Cynthia Bucheger <dragonlair at mail.wireweb.net> wrote:

> I just realized what was missing to make this

> holiday season start off properly is some

> leberkuchen.  Unforunately I am no longer in Germany

> where I can run down to the local bakeri and pick

> some up.  So that means I need to make my own.

> Anyone have a good recipe and/or know if it's

> pre-1600?

>

> Alexandria

 

Yes, Lebkuchen is pre-1600.  Sabina Welserin has

several recipes in her 1553 cookbook.

 

151 To bake good Lebkuchen

 

Take first a pound of sugar, a quart of clear honey,

not quite a third quart of flour, take two and a half

ounces of cinnamon, one and a half ounces of cloves,

two ounces of cardamom. Cut the other spices as

small as possible, the cinnamon sticks are ground as

coarsely as possible. Also put ginger therein and put

the sugar into the honey, let it cook together, put

the flour in a trough, pour the cardamom into it first,

afterwards the ginger and the other spices.

 

63 To make N¸rnberger Lebkuchen

 

Take one quart of honey, put it into a large pan, skim

it well and let it boil a good while. Put one and a

half pounds of sugar into it and stir it continually

with a wooden spatula and let it cook for a while, as

long as one cooks an egg, pour it hot into a quarter

pound of flour, stir it around slowly and put the

described spices in the dough, stir it around slowly

and not too long; take one and a half ounces of

cinnamon sticks, one and a half ounces of nutmeg,

three fourths of an ounce of cloves, three ounces of

ginger, a pinch of mace, and chop or grind each one

separately so that they are not too small, the cinnamon sticks,

especially, should be coarsely ground. And when you

have put the spices in the dough, then let the dough

set for as long as one needs to hard boil eggs. Dip

the hands in flour and take a small heap of dough,

make balls out of it, weigh them so that one is as

heavy as the others, roll them out with a rolling pin,

and spread them out smoothly by hand, the smoother the

prettier. After that dip the mold in rose water and

open it up. Take four ounces of dough for one

Lebkuchen. Be careful and get no flour in the molds or

else they will be no good, but on the board you can

put flour so that they do not stick to it. Let them set

overnight. And when you take them to the baker, then

see to it that you have another board that is

thoroughly sprinkled with flour, so that it is very

thickly covered. Put the board with its covering of

flour into the oven so that the board is completely

heated, the hotter the better. Take it out afterwards

and lay the Lebkuchen on top, so that none touches the

other, put them in the oven, let them bake and look

after them frequently. At first they will become soft

as fat. If you take hold of them you can feel it well.

And when they become entirely dry, then take them out

and turn the board around, so that the front part goes

into the back of the oven. Let it remain a short

while, then take it out. Take a small broom, brush the

flour cleanly away from the underside of the Lebkuchen

and lay the Lebkuchen, in the mean time, on the

other board, until you have brushed off the Lebkuchen,

one after the other, so that there is no more flour

on the bottoms. Afterwards sweep the flour very

cleanly from off the board. Lay the Lebkuchen on top of

it again, so that the bottom is turned to the top.

Take a bath sponge, dip it in rose water, squeeze it

out again, wash the flour from the bottoms of the

Lebkuchen. Be careful that you do not leave any water

on the board, then they would stick to it. Afterwards

put the board with the Lebkuchen again in the oven,

until the bottoms rise nicely and become hard, then

take the board out again. See to it that two or three

[people] are by the board, who can quickly turn the

Lebkuchen over, or else they will stick. Afterwards

take rose water and wash them on top with it as you

have done on the underside. Put them in the oven

again, let them become dry, carry them home and move

them around on the board, so that they do not

stick. And when they have completely cooled, then lay

them eight or ten, one upon the other, wrap them

in paper and store them in a dry place, see that no

draft comes therein, then they remain crisp.

 

164 To make a large N¸rnberger Lebkuchen

 

Take a quart of honey and a quarter pound of sugar,

prepare it as for the smaller Lebkuchen, take one

quarter pound of flour and then the spices as follows:

one half ounce of cinnamon, one ounce of cloves,

one and three fourths ounces of nutmeg, four ounces of

ginger, one fourth ounce of mace. Stir it carefully

around, afterwards roll the dough out somewhat. Bake

it as for the smaller Lebkuchen.

 

Here are some modern recipes for Lebkuchen:

 

1) Christmas Lebkuchen

 

Ingredients:

 

2 eggs whole

4 egg yolks

1 lb sugar

1/3 lb butter

1/2 lb almonds

8 oz. citron sliced thin

1 and 1/2 lb flour

1/2 oz cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp grated lemon rind

 

Instructions:

 

Melt butter over low heat. Stir it into the sugar,

spices, chopped almonds, and well beaten eggs and

yolks. Add flour slowly, the baking powder

having previously been mixed with the flour.

Roll out the dough thin and cut into shapes as

desired. Place half of one almond in the center of

each cookie and brush top of each cookie with egg

white. Bake in a moderate oven (350F) until brown.

 

2) Lebkuchen

 

For the cookies:

 

   3 whole eggs

   1 egg yolk (white is used in icing)

   2 cup brown sugar

   1 tsp. cinnamon

   3/4 to 1 tsp. ground cloves

   1 tsp. ground allspice

   1/2 cup finely chopped almonds or hazelnuts

   1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup of flour

   1 tsp. baking powder

 

For the icing:

 

   1 egg white

   1 cup powdered (10X) sugar

   1/4 tsp. vanilla or almond flavoring

 

Directions

 

Grind nuts in food processor until very fine. My

little food processor takes a bit under a minute to

grind to the right consistency.

 

Beat eggs and sugar on medium speed until well blended

and the mixture is light. Mix spices, flour, baking

powder and ground nuts together, and add to egg

mixture. Mix on a lower speed until blended. Line a

small jelly roll pan (12x16 inches) with parchment

paper, pour mixture into pan and smooth.

 

Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove from oven

and let cool for about 10 minutes. Flip pan, remove

pan, remove parchment paper from back of Lebkuchen,

and flip Lebkuchen upright.

 

In a small bowl, whisk egg white until foamy (not yet

the soft peak stage). Whisk powdered sugar two

tablespoons at a time into the egg white. Whisk in

vanilla or almond extract. Icing will be fairly stiff

but spreadable. Spread on cooling Lebkuchen and allow

to cool for another 20 minutes.

 

Cut into bars about 3 inches by 1 1/2 inches. Store in

the ubiquitous airtight container.

 

Notes: You can omit the nuts and add a bit more flour.

Or you may wish to add some (about a half cup?) finely

chopped candied fruit. The fruit should probably not

be as finely chopped as the nuts.

 

3) Grandma's Lebkuchen

 

Serving Size: 16 servings

 

Ingredients:

 

1 egg

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup dark molasses

3 cups sifted flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup mixed candied fruits and peels, finely

         chopped

Lemon Glaze (below)

 

Instructions:

 

1.Preheat oven to 400.

2.Beat egg.

3.Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

4.Stir in honey and molasses.

5.Sift together dry ingredients and add to

   honey/molasses mixture. Mix well.

6.Stir in nuts, fruits and peels.

7.Chill several hours or over night.

8.Roll out 1/4 inch thick on floured surface.

   Cut in 3 1/2x2-inch rectangles.

9.Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350F for

about 12 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pan.

10.While still warm, brush with lemon glaze.

 

Lemon glaze

Combine one slightly beaten egg white, 1 tablespoon

lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel and 1 1/2

cups sifted powdered sugar.

 

 

Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 01:30:27 -0700 (PDT)

From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Cookies was hello there

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

And in period German cookery, specifically Sabina

Welserin, we have documentation for rosettes and

for lebkuchen.

 

Huette

 

 

Date: Fri, 09 Apr 2004 16:18:50 +0000

From: nickiandme at att.net

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Lebkuchen was EK Coronation feast analysis

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org (scaCooks),

      Trimariscookslist at yahoogroups.com;

 

I thought lebkuchen was supposed to end up as a intensely flavored  

taffy like item. In the case of recipe 151 I thought it referred to the  

flour made of the ground spices rather than actual flour.  In recipes  

163 and 164 - I have never been able to get it to mold using such a  

small quantity of flour relative to the amount of honey and spices  

used. Applying any kind of heat to the stuff makes it melt and spread  

thus losing its molded shape.  I've tried taking the honey up to hard  

crack, soft crack, hard ball, soft ball stages.  Nothing seems to help.

 

A careful reading of Sabina brings up its usage in other recipes where  

a bit of lebkuchen is added to a sauce to melt in and add flavor.

 

I know the modern interpretation is as a german cookie as we know  

cookies today.  But, this is a misnomer to me.  I think that the name  

was applied to the cookie from the flavoring used -much like medieval  

gingerbread and gingerbread cookies today.  Akin, but not the same  

thing.

 

I'd like to know the proportions you used on the ingredients to get  

cookies out of it.

 

Kateryn de Develyn

recipes referred to follow.

 

151 To bake good Lebkuchen

 

Take first a pound of sugar, a quart of clear honey, not quite a third  

quart of flour, take two and a half ounces of cinnamon, one and a half  

ounces of cloves, two ounces of cardamom. Cut the other spices as small  

as possible, the cinnamon sticks are ground as coarsely as possible.  

Also put ginger therein and put the sugar into the honey, let it cook  

together, put the flour in a trough, pour the cardamom into it first,  

afterwards the ginger and the other spices.

 

 

163 To make Nürnberger Lebkuchen

 

Take one quart of honey, put it into a large pan, skim it well and let  

it boil a good while. Put one and a half pounds of sugar into it and  

stir it continually with a wooden spatula and let it cook for a while,  

as long as one cooks an egg, pour it hot into a quarter pound of flour,  

stir it around slowly and put the described spices in the dough, stir  

it around slowly and not too long; take one and a half ounces of  

cinnamon sticks, one and a half ounces of nutmeg, three fourths of an  

ounce of cloves, three ounces of ginger, a pinch of mace, and chop or  

grind each one separately so that they are not too small, the cinnamon  

sticks, especially, should be coarsely ground. And when you have put  

the spices in the dough, then let the dough set for as long as one  

needs to hard boil eggs. Dip the hands in flour and take a small heap  

of dough, make balls out of it, weigh them so that one is as heavy as  

the others, roll them out with a rolling pin, and spread them out  

smoothly by hand, !

 

the smoother the prettier. After that dip the mold in rose water and  

open it up. Take four ounces of dough for one Lebkuchen. Be careful and  

get no flour in the molds or else they will be no good, but on the  

board you can put flour so that they do not stick to it. Let them set  

overnight. And when you take them to the baker, then see to it that you  

have another board that is thoroughly sprinkled with flour, so that it  

is very thickly covered. Put the board with its covering of flour into  

the oven so that the board is completely heated, the hotter the better.  

Take it out afterwards and lay the Lebkuchen on top, so that none  

touches the other, put them in the oven, let them bake and look after  

them frequently. At first they will become soft as fat. If you take  

hold of them you can feel it well. And when they become entirely dry,  

then take them out and turn the board around, so that the front part  

goes into the back of the oven. Let it remain a short while, then take  

it out. Take a small broom, brush the flour cleanly away from the underside of the Lebkuchen and lay the Lebkuchen, in the mean time, on the other  

board, until you have brushed off the Lebkuchen, one after the other,  

so that there is no more flour on the bottoms. Afterwards sweep the  

flour very cleanly from off the board. Lay the Lebkuchen on top of it  

again, so that the bottom is turned to the top. Take a bath sponge, dip  

it in rose water, squeeze it out again, wash the flour from the bottoms  

of the Lebkuchen. Be careful that you do not leave any water on the  

board, then they would stick to it. Afterwards put the board with the  

Lebkuchen again in the oven, until the bottoms rise nicely and become  

hard, then take the board out again. See to it that two or three  

[people] are by the board, who can quickly turn the Lebkuchen over, or  

else they will stick. Afterwards take rose water and wash them on top  

with it as you have done on the underside. Put them in the oven again,  

let them become dry, carry them home and move them around on the board,  

so that they do not stick. And when they have completely cooled, then lay them  

eight or ten, one upon the other, wrap them in paper and store them in  

a dry place, see that no draft comes therein, then they remain crisp.

 

 

164 To make a large Nürnberger Lebkuchen

 

Take a quart of honey and a quarter pound of sugar, prepare it as for  

the smaller Lebkuchen, take one quarter pound of flour and then the  

spices as follows: one half ounce of cinnamon, one ounce of cloves, one  

and three fourths ounces of nutmeg, four ounces of ginger, one fourth  

ounce of mace. Stir it carefully around, afterwards roll the dough out  

somewhat. Bake it as for the smaller Lebkuchen.

 

7 To make a sauce in which to put a haunch of venison

 

Lard it well and roast it and make a good sauce for it. Take Reinfal  

and stir cherry syrup into it, and fry Lebkuchen in fat and chop good  

sweet apples, almonds, cloves, cinnamon sticks, ginger, currants,  

pepper and raisins and let it all cook together. When you want to serve  

it, then pour the sauce over it. It is also for marinating a boar's  

head. Then cook it in two parts water and one third vinegar. The head  

of a pig is also made in this manner.

 

43 To make a fig pudding

 

Put wine in a small pot, and when it begins to boil, then put in grated  

Lebkuchen and grated Semmel. Put saffron, almonds, raisins, figs and  

some fat into it.

 

 

Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2004 19:51:43 -0400

From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <rcmann4 at earthlink.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Lebkuchen was EK Coronation feast analysis

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

On 9 Apr 2004, at 16:18, nickiandme at att.net wrote:

> I thought lebkuchen was supposed to end up as a intensely flavored taffy like

> item. In the case of recipe 151 I thought it referred to the flour made of the

> ground spices rather than actual flour.

 

This is the recipe I used.  I don't think that "flour" can refer to the ground

spices, since there is supposed to be almost a third of a quart of flour to one

quart of honey.

 

[snip]

> I'd like to know the proportions you used on the ingredients to get  

> cookies out of it.

 

I used the quantities below, and I did not get cookies out of it.  We ended up

adding breadcrumbs, just to get something firm enough to be picked up.

 

> Kateryn de Develyn

> recipes referred to follow.

> 151 To bake good Lebkuchen

> Take first a pound of sugar, a quart of clear honey, not quite a third quart of

> flour, take two and a half ounces of cinnamon, one and a half ounces of cloves,

> two ounces of cardamom. Cut the other spices as small as possible, the  

> cinnamon

> sticks are ground as coarsely as possible. Also put ginger therein and  

> put the

> sugar into the honey, let it cook together, put the flour in a trough,  

> pour the

> cardamom into it first, afterwards the ginger and the other spices.

 

Brighid ni Chiarain *** mka Robin Carroll-Mann

Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom

 

 

Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 13:13:03 -0400

From: Kerri Martinsen <kerrimart at cablespeed.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Lebkuchen

To: SCA Cooks <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

I used Sabina's Lebkuchen recipe for an A&S entry a couple of months ago.  I

started with the small amount of flour and had no luck.  I added more flour

to get the honey mix just to the point that I could handle it.

Then covered my hands in flour, dropped a spoonful in my hand and worked in

the flour as I rolled it out on a heavily floured board.

 

I did get a cookie shape - not cake like by any means.  More cracker like.

The later roll outs did hold their shape better due to more flour, but I

think the texture of the early roll outs was better.

 

Is it possible that her recipes just assumed that you would know to add

a lot of extra flour in the roll out process?

 

(I have process pictures of this project if anyone is interested)

 

Vitha

----

Lady Hrosvitha von Celle

Royal Baker, Kingdom of Atlantia

Shadewes Company, Northshield

 

 

Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 19:02:32 -0700 (PDT)

From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Period-appropriate cookies and cookie-like

      substances....

To: mooncat at in-tch.com, Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Well, there always is Lebkuchen, which is now a Christmas cookie, but

it doesn't have to be.

 

> From Sabina Welserin's 1553 cookbook:

 

 

151 To bake good Lebkuchen

 

Take first a pound of sugar, a quart of clear honey, not quite a third  quart of flour, take two and a half ounces of cinnamon, one and a half ounces of cloves, two  ounces of cardamom. Cut the other spices as small as possible, the cinnamon sticks are ground as  coarsely as possible. Also put ginger therein and put the sugar into the honey, let it cook  together, put the flour in a trough, pour the cardamom into it first, afterwards the ginger and the  other spices.

 

 

163 To make Nürnberger Lebkuchen

 

Take one quart of honey, put it into a large pan, skim it well and let  it boil a good while. Put one and a half pounds of sugar into it and stir it continually with a  wooden spatula and let it cook for a while, as long as one cooks an egg, pour it hot into a  quarter pound of flour, stir it around slowly and put the described spices in the dough, stir it around  slowly and not too long; take one and a half ounces of cinnamon sticks, one and a half ounces of nutmeg, three fourths of an ounce of cloves, three ounces of ginger, a pinch of mace, and chop  or grind each one separately so that they are not too small, the cinnamon sticks, especially, should  be coarsely ground. And when you have put the spices in the dough, then let the dough set for  as long as one needs to hard boil eggs. Dip the hands in flour and take a small heap of dough, make balls out of it, weigh them so that one is as heavy as the others, roll them out with a rolling  pin, and spread them out smoothly by hand, the smoother the prettier. After that dip the mold in  rose water and open it up. Take four ounces of dough for one Lebkuchen. Be careful and get no  flour in the molds or else they will be no good, but on the board you can put flour so that they do not  stick to it. Let them set overnight. And when you take them to the baker, then see to it that you  have another board that is thoroughly sprinkled with flour, so that it is very thickly covered.  Put the board with its covering of flour into the oven so that the board is completely heated,  the hotter the better. Take it out afterwards and lay the Lebkuchen on top, so that none touches the other, put them in the oven, let them bake and look after them frequently. At first they  will become soft as fat. If you take hold of them you can feel it well. And when they become  entirely dry, then take them out and turn the board around, so that the front part goes into the back of  the oven. Let it remain a short while, then take it out. Take a small broom, brush the flour  cleanly away from the underside of the Lebkuchen and lay the Lebkuchen, in the mean time, on the other  board, until you have brushed off the Lebkuchen, one after the other, so that there is no  more flour on the bottoms. Afterwards sweep the flour very cleanly from off the board. Lay the Lebkuchen on top of it again, so that the bottom is turned to the top. Take a bath sponge, dip it in  rose water, squeeze it out again, wash the flour from the bottoms of the Lebkuchen. Be careful  that you do not leave any water on the board, then they would stick to it. Afterwards put the  board with the Lebkuchen again in the oven, until the bottoms rise nicely and become hard, then take  the board out again. See to it that two or three [people] are by the board, who can quickly turn  the Lebkuchen over, or else they will stick. Afterwards take rose water and wash them on top with  it as you have done on the underside. Put them in the oven again, let them become dry, carry them home and move them around on the board, so that they do not stick. And when they have completely  cooled, then lay them eight or ten, one upon the other, wrap them in paper and store them in a dry  place, see that no draft comes therein, then they remain crisp.

 

164 To make a large Nürnberger Lebkuchen

 

Take a quart of honey and a quarter pound of sugar, prepare it as for  the smaller Lebkuchen, take one quarter pound of flour and then the spices as follows: one half  ounce of cinnamon, one ounce of cloves, one and three fourths ounces of nutmeg, four ounces of  ginger, one fourth ounce of mace. Stir it carefully around, afterwards roll the dough out somewhat.  Bake it as for the smaller Lebkuchen.

 

And here is something that almost sounds like a marzipan sandwich

cookie:

< snip see cookies-msg for these recipes - Stefan >

 

Huette

 

 

Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 07:10:15 -0500

From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Period-appropriate cookies and

      cookie-likesubstances....

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

> Well, there always is Lebkuchen, which is now a Christmas cookie, but

> it doesn't have to be.

> Huette

 

Must be an Amurikin thang.  When I was living in Germany, Lebkuchen wasn't

just a Christmas cookie and it ran the gamut from plain spice bar to fancy

iced cookie packed in tins.  I was pleased to find that the Germany bakery

in OKC has it as an everyday item, which means I don't have to bake it when

I get the urge.

 

Bear

 

 

Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 13:05:11 -0800 (PST)

From: V O <voztemp at yahoo.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: [Sca-cooks] question about recipes

 

Would the 1st recipe be funnel cake? And would the second one possibly be a

recipe that could be translated to be springerle? I know it says lebkuchen, but

with all of the stuff about dipping the mold into rosewater, letting them sit

overnight.? To me it sound like springerle, describing molding the

cakes/cookies and letting them dry over night. The process of cooking is very

interesting, I may just have to try this with some of my molds next time.

 

from

Das Kuchbuch der Sabrina Welserin (1553)?

 

Mirianna

 

99 To bake white Lautensternchen

 

<snip>

 

163 To make N?rnberger Lebkuchen

 

Take one quart of honey, put it into a large pan, skim it well and let it boil a

good while. Put one and a half pounds of sugar into it and stir it continually

with a wooden spatula and let it cook for a while, as long as one cooks an egg,

pour it hot into a quarter pound of flour, stir it around slowly and put the

described spices in the dough, stir it around slowly and not too long; take one

and a half ounces of cinnamon sticks, one and a half ounces of nutmeg, three

fourths of an ounce of cloves, three ounces of ginger, a pinch of mace, and chop

or grind each one separately so that they are not too small, the cinnamon

sticks, especially, should be coarsely ground. And when you have put the spices

in the dough, then let the dough set for as long as one needs to hard boil eggs.

Dip the hands in flour and take a small heap of dough, make balls out of it,

weigh them so that one is as heavy as the others, roll them out with a rolling

pin, and spread them out smoothly by hand, the smoother the prettier. After that

dip the mold in rose water and open it up. Take four ounces of dough for one

Lebkuchen. Be careful and get no flour in the molds or else they will be no

good, but on the board you can put flour so that they do not stick to it. Let

them set overnight. And when you take them to the baker, then see to it that you

have another board that is thoroughly sprinkled with flour, so that it is very

thickly covered. Put the board with its covering of flour into the oven so that

the board is completely heated, the hotter the better. Take it out afterwards

and lay the Lebkuchen on top, so that none touches the other, put them in the

oven, let them bake and look after them frequently. At first they will become

soft as fat. If you take hold of them you can feel it well. And when they become

entirely dry, then take them out and turn the board around, so that the front

part goes into the back of the oven. Let it remain a short while, then take it

out. Take a small broom, brush the flour cleanly away from the underside of the

Lebkuchen and lay the Lebkuchen, in the mean time, on the other board, until you

have brushed off the Lebkuchen, one after the other, so that there is no more

flour on the bottoms. Afterwards sweep the flour very cleanly from off the

board. Lay the Lebkuchen on top of it again, so that the bottom is turned to the

top. Take a bath sponge, dip it in rose water, squeeze it out again, wash the

flour from the bottoms of the Lebkuchen. Be careful that you do not leave any

water on the board, then they would stick to it. Afterwards put the board with

the Lebkuchen again in the oven, until the bottoms rise nicely and become hard,

then take the board out again. See to it that two or three [people] are by the

board, who can quickly turn the Lebkuchen over, or else they will stick.

Afterwards take rose water and wash them on top with it as you have done on the

underside. Put them in the oven again, let them become dry, carry them home and

move them around on the board, so that they do not stick. And when they have

completely cooled, then lay them eight or ten, one upon the other, wrap them in

paper and store them in a dry place, see that no draft comes therein, then they

remain crisp.

 

 

Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 17:25:48 -0500

From: Barbara Benson <voxeight at gmail.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] question about recipes

 

<<< I should put together a collection of the lebkuchen recipes I've come

across, but perhaps there is a collection of them in the florilegium

already. ?... ?I love to make little thin rounds

of lebkuchen, fill them with almond paste and dried fruit oreo style, dip

them in an almond/egg batter, deep fry them and finally sugar them. ?I

call them crack.

 

Katherine >>>

 

Sounds delicious - are you going to be a spoon tease or share the recipe?

 

I have a very interesting woodcut image that shows several men sitting

at a table and sharing lebkuchen. The lebjuchen is round in shape and

there is an image of Christ on the cross obviously molded onto it. One

gentleman has sliced the lebkuchen and is handing a piece to one of

the other men. The thing that has always struck me about the image is

that the lebkuchen is about the size of a modern pizza and the slice

that has been taken out is in a classic "wedge" shape. I giggle to

myself whenever I see it that they are eating Jesus pizza.

--

Serena da Riva

 

 

Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 16:40:28 -0600

From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] question about recipes

 

Period gingerbread and lebkuchen were often pressed in a mold to add a

decorative element.  The use of honey, sugar, a little flour and a lot of

spices say to me this is a spice cake, a lebkuchen.

 

Springerle use eggs, flour and sugar and usually have some of chemical

leaven, commonly hartshorn.  The traditional spicing for springerle is

usually anise, dusted on the baking sheet rather than incorporated into the

dough.

 

Bear

 

----- Original Message -----

From: "V O" <voztemp at yahoo.com>

 

Would the 1st recipe be funnel cake? And would the second one possibly be a

recipe that could be translated to be springerle? I know it says lebkuchen,

but with all of the stuff about dipping the mold into rosewater, letting them

sit overnight. To me it sound like springerle, describing molding the

caakes/cookies and letting them dry over night.

 

from

Das Kuchbuch der Sabrina Welserin (1553)

 

Mirianna

 

163 To make N?rnberger Lebkuchen

 

<the end>



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