Lebkuchen

Their aroma fills the South Tyrolean Christmas Markets, their spices awaken the senses, and they are a popular souvenir throughout the Alpine region: Lebkuchen.

10 ingredients:

• 500 g rye flour
• 500 g wheat flour
• 400 g sugar
• 270 g honey, at room temperature
• 30 g bicarbonate of soda
• 7 eggs
• 2 tsp gingerbread spice mix
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• grated lemon zest

5 steps for preparation:

• Knead all the ingredients in a large bowl to form a smooth dough.
• Cover the dough and let it rest for at least 24 hours.
• Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 4 mm and cut out your desired shapes.
• Brush the Lebkuchen with a beaten egg and top with almonds, if you wish.
• Finally, bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C for about seven minutes.

But really, why only at Christmas? Any gloomy November evening, ice-cold winter morning, and wet February day is perfect for the warm aroma of Lebkuchen.