Oblaten Lebkuchen

     Nuremburg lebkuchen are as old as the 12th century. There are quite a few varieties but the ones I am familiar with, the ones most common in the states, are oblaten lebkuchen. A cakey, spiced, cookie baked on a thin wafer. The wafer keeps the sticky cookie from sticking to the sheet and the zest and spices in the cookie keep them a favorite for the holidays. 

     Make sure the cookies are completely baked before removing them from the oven. The batter is quite dense and will be chewy if they are under baked. If the top is set but springs back like a cake keep baking them for an additional 3 - 4 minutes. Over baking them isn't as much a worry since the batter has so much moisture in it, it makes them quite forgiving. 

Check out what the other bloggers have made!

Improv Cooking Challenge: December 2020

Ingredients: Chocolate and Citrus

• Chocolate Orange Cake by Making Miracles
• Cranberry Pistachio lime and white chocolate bark by Magical Ingredients
• Almond Orange Brownies by Cookaholic Wife
• Oblaten Lebkuchen by Pandemonium Noshery
• Easy Citrus & Chocolate Pudding Trifle by Sneha’s Recipe

Grafenwohr, Germany. A small town near Nuremburg.

Nuremburg Castle, Germany

Nuremburg Castle, Germany

View of the cathedral from Nuremburg Castle

Almost dead center you can see a lighted sign, the entrance to the Christkindlesmarkt

Cathedral in Nuremburg, Germany

1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 spice packet
4 oz. dates
2 oz. raisins
2/3 c. almonds
2/3 c. hazelnuts
7 oz. almond paste
zest of 1 orange
zest and juice of 1 lemon
6 eggs
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
35 back oblaten wafers

10 oz. Dark Chocolate

1/4 c. lemon juice
3 c. powdered sugar

In a food processor combine the almonds and the hazelnuts. Process until finely ground. Add the baking powder, salt, and spice packet and run until they are incorporated. Add the dates, raisins, almonds paste and zests and run until smooth again. Add the eggs and brown sugar an run again until the mixture is once again smooth. 

Add the flour all at once and run until the flour is incorporated. Remove and place in a gallon sized plastic bag. Chill overnight, or at least 8 hours. 

Pre-heat our oven to 325

Place half the back oblaten wafers on a lined cookie sheet. 

Transfer a quarter of the cookie mixture to a pastry bag. Cut off a the end, about half an inch in leaving you with a wide hole. Pipe out about 2 - 3 tablespoons of the mixture on to the center of each wafer refiling the pastry bag as needed. 

Bake at 325 for 17minutes or until the top is golden and the cookies are set. 

Remove from the oven an set aside to cool. Repeat with the other half of the wafers. 

Allow the cookies to cool completely before glazing. 

Glaze
Chocolate
Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 9 second increments, stirring between each one, until 80% melted. Stir until the chocolate is completely cool. Dip the top of half of the cooled cookies in to the chocolate. Set aside to set. 

Sugar glaze
Heat the lemon juice in the microwave until boiling. Immediately add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Dip the remaining half of the cookie tops in the lemon glaze. Stir the glaze frequently to avoid it crusting over. If it does microwave it for 10 seconds and stir. Set the cookies aside until set.