Jam filled German gingerbread hearts are my favorite Christmas treat. They are the perfect combination of gingerbread and chocolate filled with delicious jam.
To be honest, not a lot of people make these delicious gingerbread treats from scratch in Germany as you can find high qualitly ones in every supermarket for an affordable price.
In the U.S. these cookies are expensive and good quality is sometimes hard to find. There is a bit of work involved to make them but it is so worth it!
How filled German gingerbread hearts called in German?
These delicious gingerbread hearts are called "Gefüllte Lebkuchenherzen". You can also find them in other shapes like circles and pretzels.
How to pronounce "Lebkuchenherz"?
Listen to this audio file to hear how to say "Lebkuchenherz" in German.
Authentic German Jam Filled Gingerbread Heart Recipe
Recipe
German Jam Filled Gingerbread - Gefüllte Lebkuchenherzen
Ingredients
- 6 oz. golden syrup or honey
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. vanilla sugar
- 6 tbsp. butter
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. gingerbread powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Filling
- ½ cup cherry jam
Glaze
- 8 oz. dark chocolate
Instructions
- In a small pot melt golden syrup, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, butter, and salt. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
- In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cocoa pow-der, cinnamon, and gingerbread spice and blend together.
- Separate the egg and refrigerate the egg white in an airtight container.
- Add the egg yolk, and the cooled down syrup mixture to the flour mixture and knead to a smooth dough.
- Shape dough to a square, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Before rolling out the dough, allow to sit at room temperature for 10-15 min.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Sprinkle your working surface with powdered sugar.
- To roll out the dough, work with a quarter of the dough at a time.
- Cut large heart shapes with a cookie cutter.
- To half of the cookies add a dot of jam in the center and brush the edges of the cookies with egg white.
- Top with another heart and press the edges lightly to close the cookie.
- Bake for about 10 min.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Temper the chocolate and cover the cookies with chocolate on both sides.
Nutrition
Yield: 1grams
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