Lebkuchen
The honey-sweetened gingerbread of central Europe
In Germany - where they are first recorded in correspondence dated 1320 -
Lebkuchen were originally made in monasteries; eventually special guilds
were formed for the bakers.
The earliest recorded German recipe for Lebkuchen, from the sixteenth
century, calls for honey, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, and
flour. None of the eggs, butter or leavening agents which one finds in
recipes today were used; nore were chopped nuts minced mixed peel. In
earlier times, Lebkuchen were made in both a simple form-plain flat
biscuits, sold in bundles or wrapped in coloured paper-and in more
elaborate forms, generally printed with moulds made of carved wood, ceramic
or metal. Sold at fairs, carnivals and markets and given on special occasions.
Because honey has especially good keeping properties, Lebkuchen can be
baked and stored in airtight containers. for the best flavour, Lebkuchen
should be stored for at least two weeks before they are eaten as the spices
ripen with time. If Lebkuchen become too hard once they are stored, which
is often the case, they can be softened by placing a slice of raw apple in
the closed container for a few days.
from the book:
Festive Baking In Austria, Germany and Switzerland