Nuremberg Gingerbread

MAKES 1 TRAY

For the crust: 5 eggs, 1¾ cups (350 g) sugar, (125 g) ground almonds (blanched), ¾ cup + 1 tbsp (100 g) flour, 1¾ oz (50 g) very finely diced candied lemon peel, 1¾ oz (50 g) very finely diced candied orange peel, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cardamom, 1 pinch allspice, 1 pinch ground ginger

For the base layer: 28 baking wafers

For the icing: ½ cup (100 g) sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp hot water, 2 2/3 oz (75 g) couverture dark chocolate or good-quality dark chocolate glaze, 1/3 cup (50 g) blanched almonds

The day before baking, use a hand mixer with a whisk attachment to beat the eggs and sugar. Do this over a hot water bath until the mixture reaches a temperature of 104°F (40°C). Remove the bowl from the hot water bath and beat until cold again. In a second bowl, mix almonds, flour, candied lemon peel, candied orange peel, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, and ginger and carefully fold into the egg-sugar mixture. Coat the wafers with a ¾ in. (2 cm) thick layer of dough, which can be evened out using a kitchen knife that has been dipped in water. Place on a plate and allow to dry overnight at room temperature so the gingerbread cookies retain their shape when baked.

The next day, preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C), unless you have a convection oven, in which case preheat to 320°F (160°C), or a gas oven, in which case preheat to level 3. Place the baking sheet with the gingerbread cookies in the oven (middle rack) and bake for 15-20 minutes so the gingerbread is brown but still soft on the inside.

Meanwhile, for the glaze, mix sugar with lemon juice and hot water in a pot and briefly bring to a boil. Take the gingerbread cookies out of the oven and, while they are still hot, cover half of them with the glaze and place them on a wire rack to dry. Temper the couverture or melt the chocolate glaze according to package directions. Then, after the remaining cookies have cooled, coat them with either the couverture or the chocolate glaze and decorate each with 3 peeled almond halves.

 

It is a quote. Christmas Cookies Dozens of Classic Yuletide Treats for the Whole Family 2015