“When in Rome”….But what if you’re not? DYI Lebkuchen Gewürz the Ultimate German Gingerbread Spice Blend – it’s not Holiday without it!’
Many people outside Germany will have no idea what this is. Lebkuchen Gewürz is a German gingerbread spice blend with an exceptionally beautiful depth and complexity of flavor. It’s unrivaled by anything comparable. Essential ingredient for a variety of German baked goods during the Christmas season, most notably Lebkuchen. Here in America, I use this blend in all my pumpkin and apple pie recipe, especially in my Gingerbread recipes during holiday! Sprinkle on pumpkin coffees, spiked whipped creams, sweet potato and real luscious holiday fruit cakes!
Converting whole spices to ground spices is not as simple as matching up the weights. Ground spices have a distinctly different flavor from whole. The freshness of the grind will also affect the taste quite considerably as well as how carefully they have been stored. When spices are freshly ground they will have a very strong intense flavor, so you would reduce the amount you use slightly. However, ground spices rapidly loose parts of their flavor. The taste changes and you may find you will end up using more than the recipe states in order to get a similar taste.The best solution is to try to get an supply of the whole spice from an online store. You can then use them whole or grind them yourself, fresh, as the need arises. Keep them stored in a cool dark place, air-tight and use within a few days of grinding.
This can be time consuming– and I only do it once a year because I want the absolute best ingredients and spice flavors for my holiday gingerbread.Below is the ratios conversions. Do the Math with the kids! And one other thing- you will need to dry out the fresh Ginger before grinding it. But trust me, its ALL worth it!
You’ll Need
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon ( 1 oz = 8 to 10 sticks (5″ in length)
1 – 3″ stick = 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (Six whole allspice berries are equivalent to 1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (1 teaspoon coriander seeds = 1 1 /4 teaspoons ground coriander)
1/2teaspoon ground green cardamom ( Approximately 12 pods, dehusked = 1 teaspoon ground cardamom)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (1 tablespoon of fresh ginger root is equal to apron. 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon ground star anise (1 whole star anise = 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise)
1/4 teaspoon ground clove (3 whole cloves) a powerful flavor. Usally I omit cloves when mace is involved but this pinch will round things out)
1/4 teaspoon ground mace ( 1/4 oz. of whole mace = 1 tablespoons )
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg ( 1 nutmeg = 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
Combine whole spices in a food processor and grind until powdered.Store Air tight, in a cool dark location. Use with in the week it was powdered.
Yield 4 Tablespoons
Homemade Ginger Powder:
Take fresh ginger root in a bowl and soak it in room temperature water for 3 to 4 minutes wash under running water to remove the dirt completely peel.
Cut it into small paper thin coins using a sharp paring knife, or a mandolins, the smaller the pieces- the faster it will dry out. Dry ginger pieces spread on raised cooler rack either under hot sun or in a dehydrator. Once completely dry, grind in a dry processor while the pieces are still crisp from sun. Pulse into a fine powder and run through a fine sieve. Store airtight in a cool dark place.
Chef Gigi Gaggero 
I think you forgot the ground cloves.
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GOOD EYE JIM!!!! TYSM! Happy Holidays!
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