Viking Cruises

T he city of Nuremberg is the capital of lebkuchen, the beloved German Christmas cookie. During the festive season, you are sure to see it everywhere: dangling from trimmed trees, hanging at Christkindlmarkt stalls and tempting you from bakery windows. You might recognise it as a type of soft gingerbread, bearing a stronger flavour and often decorated with colourful icing or monogrammed with good tidings. The trademark spiciness of lebkuchen comes from such ingredients as cinnamon, cloves, aniseed, ginger, cardamom, allspice, coriander and nutmeg; the cookies are often presented in ornately decorated tins or boxes, or baked in larger heart shapes and decorated to be hung as ornaments. The history of lebkuchen can be traced back to 14th-century Nuremberg, when local monks would bake so-called "honey cakes" using the bounty of spices available to them, given the city's advantageous location at the crossroads of medieval trade routes. Also at their disposal was honey harvested from the nearby Reichswald Forest—a necessary ingredient. By 1345, an entire industry of lebkuchen bakers, called Lebküchner, had sprung up in Nuremberg, ushering in a delicious local tradition. Today, more lebkuchen is exported from Nuremberg than anywhere else in the world. LEBKUCHEN Spicy and nutty, these traditional German Christmas cookies taste like soft gingerbread and are often decorated as ornaments. For the best flavour, wait a day before eating them. PREP TIME: 2½ minutes COOK TIME: 20 minutes SERVINGS: 36 cookies INGREDIENTS 3 cups rye flour 2 cups flour 1½ cups brown sugar 2 tsp baking soda 2 tbsps lebkuchen spices 2 cups grated nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds) ¾ cup raisins, finely chopped 4 lg eggs ½ cup honey 1 egg white, beaten ½ cup blanched or slivered almonds for garnish DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 190°C. Place flours, sugar, baking soda, spices, nuts and raisins in a large bowl; stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and honey; pour into dry mixture and combine. Cover and refrigerate for 2–4 hours. Roll out dough on a floured surface to 1¼ cm thick. Cut into 5cm shapes. Brush with beaten egg white. Press almonds into surface. Bake for 15–20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Food for thought: LEBKUCHEN Germany's traditional Christmas cookie that dates all the way back to the 14th Century are deliciously spicy and sweet 20 VIKING

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