Tutorial: Baking Elisabeth's Gingerbread / Contest

NEW - EXTENDED DEADLINE FOR ANOTHER MONTH - NEW

(see the new deadline below behind the former date in paranthesis)

Elisabeth's Gingerbread (Elisenlebkuchene)

Where does the name Elisenlebkuchen actually come from?

There is a legend in Nuremberg that says that Elisenlebkuchen was invented by a gingerbread baker around 1720. For a long time, Elisenlebkuchen was said to have healing properties.

The legend of the gingerbread baker's daughter

The legend has its origins in the illness of a gingerbread baker's daughter. He had lost his wife to a serious illness some time before. Now, as you can imagine, he was very worried about losing his daughter too. No doctor could help.

In his great despair, he remembered that oriental spices were said to have healing properties. Since he had always used many of these oriental spices in his gingerbread bakery, he took courage again and came up with a new recipe for his gingerbread. This was made without flour and only with the highest quality ingredients.

He gave the finished gingerbread to his already very weak daughter. She recovered quickly after eating the new baked goods and was well again.

Since the daughter's name was Elisabeth, the Elisenlebkuchen now had its name!

Now how to make them yourselves

And here is what you will need

Ingredients for approx. 35 pieces:

- 75 g candied lemon peel

- 50 g candied orange peel

- 2 eggs (medium size)

- 100 g + 50 g icing sugar

- 1 pinch of salt

- 1 teaspoon cinnamon

- 1 pinch of ground cloves

- 1 pinch of mace

- grated peel of half an untreated lemon

- 100 g ground almonds

- 125 g ground hazelnuts

- 1 pinch of baking powder

- 35 baking wafers (40 mm diameter)

- 100 g semi-sweet chocolate coating

- 1 tablespoon flaked almonds

- 1 tablespoon rum

- 9 candied cherries

And your tools:

Time to begin with the first step (Preparing the dough)

Chop the candied lemon peel and candied orange peel.

Beat eggs, 100 g icing sugar, salt, spices and lemon zest until creamy. Stir in ground almonds, nuts, baking powder, candied lemon and candied orange peel.

Leave to rest for about 30 minutes.

Lets move forward with the second step (baking)

Place wafers on a baking tray.

Cut small heaps out of the dough and place on top.

Bake in a preheated oven (electric oven: 150°C, fan oven: 125°C, gas: level 1) for 25 - 30 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Step three (dark decoration)

Your tools and ingredients:

Chop the chocolate coating and melt in a hot water bath.

Cover half of the cookies with chocolate coating and decorate with flaked almonds.

Step four (light decoration)

Your tools and ingredients:

First halve the candied cherries.

Then mix 50 g icing sugar, rum and 1 tablespoon of hot water.

Cover the remaining cookies with this and decorate each with half a candied cherry.

To get the following result:

Arrange cookies on plates or trays to present or aluminium boxes to keep them fresh and safe for some time (as you can see in the cover image).

Ready is your Elisabeth's gingerbread (Elisenlebkuchen)!

I have decided to transform this tutorial into a contest as baking time around Christmas is coming soon.

Your task will be to bake Elisabeth's gingerbread according to the above tutorial.

Take a photograph then from your outcome, load it up as a deviation and submit it in the comments of this tutorial and I will store them in a folder so that judges have better overview to judge your baking art.

No AI works please in this contest, only your real true baking skills!

You might have several trials, but you can only submit one entry to the contest:

Your ultimative entry!

The contest will start on November 1st till November 23rd. (now till December 23rd)

Judging time will be from November 24th till November 30th. (now from December 24th till December 30th)

Winners will be announced on December 1st. (now on December 31st New Years Eve)

Your judges will be:

There will be three winners (1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place) and one honorable mention.

Prizes will be:

2,000 points from @pinkythepink and @CRArtisanCrafts

1st place:

Hype Badge from @AlexanderPaupoff

Hype Badge from @KizukiTamura

Feature from @KizukiTamura

Feature from @HDdeviant

Hype Badge from @Kat-Zaphire

200 points from @Kat-Zaphire (out of 500 points donation)

Literature commission: Haiku (topic according to winner's choice) from @Malintra-Shadowmoon

2nd place:

Quartz Badge from @AlexanderPaupoff

Hype Badge from @KizukiTamura

Feature from @KizukiTamura

Feature from @HDdeviant

Hype Badge from @Kat-Zaphire

150 points from @Kat-Zaphire (out of 500 points donation)

Literature commission: Haiku (topic according to winner's choice) from @Malintra-Shadowmoon

3rd place:

Quartz Badge from @AlexanderPaupoff

Hype Badge from @KizukiTamura

Feature from @KizukiTamura

Feature from @HDdeviant

Hype Badge from @Kat-Zaphire

100 points from @Kat-Zaphire (out of 500 points donation)

Literature commission: Haiku (topic according to winner's choice) from @Malintra-Shadowmoon

Honorable mention:

Quartz Badge from @AlexanderPaupoff

Hype Badge from @KizukiTamura

Feature from @KizukiTamura

Feature from @HDdeviant

Quartz Badge from @Kat-Zaphire

50 points from @Kat-Zaphire (out of 500 points donation)

Literature commission: Elevenate (11 words poetry) (topic according to winner's choice) from @Malintra-Shadowmoon

To all participants:

Cake Badges from @AlexanderPaupoff

Cake Badges from @Kat-Zaphire

Featured prize donators