Lebkuchen (Advent — Nuremberg Gingerbread)

Lebkuchen — the soft, spiced gingerbread of Nuremberg — is one of Germany's oldest protected foods (Nürnberger Lebkuchen carries a Protected Geographical Indication) and among the most distinctive seasonal preparations in European baking. Unlike British or Nordic gingerbread, lebkuchen are baked on edible wafers (oblaten) and contain no flour — the structure comes entirely from ground almonds, hazelnuts, eggs, and candied citrus peel, bound with honey and a complex spice blend (Lebkuchengewürz) of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, anise, and coriander. The result is a preparation unlike any other: dense, almost confection-like, deeply spiced, with a moist, chewy interior and a thin glaze or chocolate coating. They should be stored for at least a week before eating — the honey absorbs and the spice integrates; fresh lebkuchen is inferior to aged.