Authentic German Lebkuchen

This recipe is over 150 years old and has been baked by my family for many generations for Christmas. They are much easier to make than other lebkuchen and ingredients have been updated to what's available now. They are made with almond flour, hence are gluten free and also contain no dairy.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 211 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• ½ cup ground hazelnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 25 backoblaten (German baking wafers)
• 7 tablespoons finely chopped candied lemon and orange peel
• 2 cups chopped dark chocolate

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange backoblaten (German baking wafers) on top, leaving a 1-inch space between them.

Step 2

Combine almond flour, sugar, eggs, ground hazelnuts, candied lemon and orange peel, ground cinnamon, vanilla sugar, and ground cloves and mix into a firm dough.

Step 3

Shape mixture into balls. Arrange balls on the prepared wafers; press gently to flatten into 1/2-inch-high rounds.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven until light brown in color, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Step 5

Place chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Cover the top of each lebkuchen with chocolate.