See Also: Cookies · Cooking Club · Germany
Elisenlebkuchen
From Dorothy McNett's recipes at www.dorothymcnett.com. This is also known as St. Elizabeth’s lebkuchen... she’s the patron saint of the gingerbread bakers in Germany.
2 inch squares of oblaten, or edible rice paper
5 large eggs
1 pound organic powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 pound raw hazelnuts, ground very fine in the processor
1/2 cup chestnut flour
1/2 cup candied orange peel, or dried candied mango slices moderately chopped
finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 12 squares of the rice paper or oblaten 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 and chestnut flour, then the orange peel or mango and lemon zest. Drop the batter by scant teaspoons onto the oblaten or rice paper. 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 but are not yet brittle. Melt the chocolate (in a glass measuring cup in microwave for about 1 minute, stir, add another 30 seconds if needed) and brush a thin wash of chocolate over each cookie. Allow to firm, about 1 hour or so. Serve!
Recipe created 1994-12-01.
