Spelt Hazelnut Lebkuchen

Lebkuchen, also called Pfefferkuchen, is a traditional German baked Christmas biscuit, somewhat resembling gingerbread. It is easy to make and has a sweet, spicy, lightly nutty taste.

Potash or pearlash is also known as potassium carbonate. It is an alkaline salt which reacts with water or an acid to create carbon dioxide, which gives baked goods lift. As a substitute, use 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for every teaspoon of potash. The taste of the final product may be different from the original.

Wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year. Hope you all enjoy your Holidays!

Dough	Chocolate Icing
125 g Honey 125 g Molasses 0,5 g Pure stevia extract (or 150 g brown sugar) 150 g Coconut oil 150 g Ground hazelnuts 370 g Refined spelt flour 1 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder 2 tsp Lebkuchen spice mix 1 tsp Lemon peel, finely grated 1 Egg 2 tsp Potash (alkaline salt) 2 tbsp Cold water	230 g Confectioners sugar 30 g Dutch-process cocoa powder 60 ml Boiling water Chilli threads Pink Peppercorns Sea salt flakes

Place the honey, molasses, raw brown sugar, stevia extract and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the coconut oil melts . Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Add in ground hazelnut, spelt flour, cocoa powder, spice mix, lemon peel and egg. Stir until well combined. Mix the potash with cold water until well blended. Add the mixture to the dough. Knead the dough until smooth. Let it rest, covered with plastic wrap, overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until 5mm thick.
Use your favourite cookie cutters to cut cookies from the dough. Place on prepared trays. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Set aside on trays for 5 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the chocolate icing, combine the confectioners sugar and cocoa in a medium bowl. Add the water and stir to a slightly runny paste. Spread icing over each biscuit and sprinkle with chilli threads, pink peppercorns or sea salt. Set aside for 30 minutes to set.

Apt3D

Spelt Hazelnut Lebkuchen

Wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year. Hope you all enjoy your Holidays!