The Passionate Baker

ELISEN LEBKUCHEN

According to folklore, this name goes back to 1720, when the daughter of one of Nuremberg's master lebkuechner fell violently ill. Her desperate father baked an especially fine lebuchen, made only with hazelnuts, honey and spices and named it after his daughter Elisabeth: the Elisen Lebkuchen.

German gingerbreads were established by the abbots in Franconian monasteries. Monks had started to use Eucharist wafers to produce gingerbread according to their own secret recipes to help keep the dough from sticking.  Around 1345 a whole new industry of specialized gingerbread bakers (Lebküchner) developed in and around the city of Nuremberg, which became the world gingerbread capital and remains so today.

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The name, Linzer, came from Linzertorte, which is an Austrian torte/tart originated from Linz, Austria. This cookie is crisp if served on the same day it is assembled, but it can also be soft when stored with filling.

The oldest Linzer torte-known written recipe was in 1653, and similarly Linzer cookies use the same recipe as Linzertorte but presented in cookie form. It is a cookie sandwich: the top cookie, dusted with confectioners sugar, has a cutout so the preserves are visible, (known as Linzer eyes).  While the traditional cutout is circular, all sorts of shapes, such as hearts, are also popular.

I fill my with the tradional Red Currant Jam!!!

This is a favorite cookie from my husband Rob's youth.  His mother passed the receipt down to him, and now make them as part of our family tradition.

​The Viennese Crescents are also called Vanille Kipferl in Austrian, German, Czech, Slovak, Polish and Hungarian which are small crescent shaped biscuits.  They were originally made with walnuts, but may also be made with almonds or hazelnuts.

​Vanillekipferl originate from Vienna, Austria, and are a specialty of the Bavarian town of Nördlingen. Traditionally, they are made at Christmas and are very well known in Europe. Thus, they can be enjoyed all year long and are often for sale in Viennese coffee shops. 

I make mine with almonds.