Elisenlebkuchen
(St. Elizabeth’s lebkuchen... she’s the patron saint of the gingerbread bakers in Germany!) From Dorothy McNett's Recipe Book at www.dorothymcnett.com.
5 extra-large eggs
1 pound powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 pound unblanched hazelnuts, ground very fine in the processor
1/4 pound chestnut flour
1/4 pound candied orange peel, moderately chopped
finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
2 inch squares of edible rice paper, or oblaten, or squares of foil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 12 squares of the rice paper on an ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Beat the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in bowl at highest speed until thick and lemony, 3-5 minutes. Fold in the hazelnuts, then the orange peel and zest. Drop the batter by scant teaspoons onto the oblaten. Spread the batter to the edges all around. Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet 2-3 minutes, just until they firm up slightly by are not yet brittle. Melt the chocolate and brush a thin wash of chocolate over each cookie. Allow to firm. Store in air-tight containers.
Recipe created 1994-12-01.
