Growing up in Germany, gingerbread (which we call "Lebkuchen" in German) was a mandatory part of the annual Christmas cookie plate. While we have countless different types of Lebkuchen in Germany, my favorite have always been Elisenlebkuchen. <br /> <br />Allegedly named after the daughter of a gingerbread baker from Nuremberg, Elisenlebkuchen are soft round gingerbread cookies baked on top of a thin wafer (Oblaten). They are served either plain or covered with a thin layer of icing or dark chocolate and are sometimes decorated with whole almonds as well. This is my family's recipe, which first came to us via my dad's friend Jochen. <br /> <br />The Oblaten wafers are there to keep the cookies together given their little flour content and how soft they stay even once baked. Thankfully they are cheap and easily ordered online. They tend to come in three different sizes: 50, 70, and 90 millimeters. It does not matter what size you use for this recipe except that you will have to adjust the baking time accordingly (12 to 14 minutes for the smallest ones and 15 to 20 minutes for the bigger ones). <br />

Share: