SC - Progress report on Lebkuchen
Debra Hense
DHense at ifmc.org
Fri Feb 23 09:32:48 PST 2001
Okay - here's a progress report on my attempts at Lebkuchen,
I'm trying to basically follow three different recipes - all from the same
source. Das Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin (c. 1553) as translated by
Valoise Armstrong
They are:
151 To bake good Lebkuchen
164 To make a large Nurnbergen Lebkuchen
163 To ma Nurnberger Lebkuchen
I've also done a little more research - in the same book, I found two
references to Lebkuchen in other recipes.
Recipe 7 - To make a sauce in which to put a haunch of venison:
Lard it well and roast it and make a good sauce for it. Take Reinfal and
stir cherry syrup into it, and fry Lebkuchen in fat and chop good sweet
apples, almonds, cloves, cinnamon sticks, ginger, currants, pepper and
raisins and let it all cook together. When you want to serve it, then pour the
sauce over it. It is also for marinating a boar's head. Then cook it in two
parts water and one third vinegar. The head of a pig is also made in this
manner.
In this case it sounds like you fry the Lebuchen (which according to the
recipes to make it - should be hard and dry) in fat. And add more and the
syrup. Kinda spices up the sauce as it melts...? Hmmm...
The other recipe:
43 - To make a fig pudding
Put wine in a small pot, and when it begins to boil, then put in grated
Lebkuchen and grated Semmel. Put saffron, almonds, raisins, figs and
some fat into it.
Uses grated Lebkuchen to flavor the pudding.
So, it seems that the Lebkuchen I am trying to recreate was very spicy.
Which is what I am getting. And it scents (okay - smells up) the house for
days after making it.
So, I'm thinking that what I am trying to recreate is a spicy mixture that is
preserved in honey. So, instead of a dry mixture like Duke's Powder which is added to wine, I am creating a sweet hard mixture which is melted into
whatever is needed.
The modern recipes I have seen for Lebkuchen all refer to a spicy hard
cookie. And many of the spices included are the same as is used to
make the medieval Lebkuchen. So, I am thinking that the modern
Lebkuchen got its name from the spicy mixture which may have originally
gone into it.
Anyway, I've taken the temp up to the hard-ball stage and remembered
to put it into a buttered pan this last time. Much easier to handle.
Although, on rereading the instructions for 163 - I'm now thinking that the
flour was not really meant to be mixed in with the spices and honey/sugar
mixture. It was used more to give the hot mixture a place to cool down
before handling.
As soon as I get the pans and stirring spoons clean of the last attempt,
I will try once more. Oh, by the way - you can have too much nutmeg.
Kateryn
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