A real German must-have for the holidays: gingerbread spice! We all know this spice blend with an extraordinarily beautiful depth and complexity of taste. And it's a must-have ingredient in a variety of German baked goods around the Christmas season, particularly the famous traditional German Lebkuchen.
As soon as the days get shorter again, the leaves turn wonderful autumnal colors and it gets colder outside, I prepare my first batch of gingerbread spice at home. It is perfect for sprinkling on your freshly brewed coffee, whipping up delicious cream with it or using it in my apple pie and NATURALLY in my homemade gingerbread !
My special tip for dingy autumn days: I love to sprinkle the gingerbread spice on my freshly made cappuccino, then I sweeten it a bit with our delicious PureBee honey , on a cold winter day, with a good book it's just wonderfully relaxing
Those of you living outside of Germany or Western Europe will know that traditional German Lebkuchen spice is almost impossible to find in supermarkets. In Germany, however, you can find it in every well-stocked supermarket from September.
However, if you prefer the better homemade version, this recipe for homemade gingerbread spice is just the thing for you!
I can imagine that some of you are now thinking: I don't want to buy all these spices just to make a gingerbread spice and the rest will end up in the bin sooner or later!
But don't worry, most of these spices have many different uses. Many of these spices are used very often, especially in Indian cuisine. Just google the individual spices and you will find many recipe ideas and be inspired.
The best way, in my opinion, so that no spices are wasted, is simply to make a large amount of delicious gingerbread spice and give it to friends and family.
Homemade gingerbread spice
Ingredients:
10g cinnamon
8 g orange peel (untreated)
7 grams of coriander
6 g lemon peel (untreated)
6 g star anise
6 grams of fennel seeds
2 g nutmeg
2 grams of cloves
2 grams of cardamom
Whether you're using already ground spices or grinding your own in a spice or coffee grinder, simply mix all the ingredients together thoroughly for a delicious gingerbread spice.
In order to be able to weigh them exactly, I got myself a small precision scale that can weigh in 0.1g increments. If your scale isn't that accurate, I recommend making a larger batch and using multiples of the ingredients. You could of course also estimate the amount. The spice mix will probably still taste delicious, but this will make it very difficult to reproduce your result.
Then store the gingerbread spice in an airtight container in a dark, cool place. It can be kept like this for about a year. However, the spices will lose intensity over time. If you want to keep it for a long time or give it away as a gift, I also recommend letting the orange and lemon zest dry for a few days before crushing it for the spice.
And now I wish you a lot of joy with your delicious homemade gingerbread spice!
Your,
linda