Aachener Printen (spiced Aachen gingerbread) with wholemeal spelt and honey

Aachener Printen made with wholemeal spelt flour, honey and date syrup, with Printen spice, orange zest and slivered almonds, without rock sugar. Spiced Christmas cookies, 159 kcal per two pieces.

At a glance

• Serves 12
• Prep time: 30 min
• Cooking time: 14 min
• Total time: 44 min
• Calories: 159 kcal per serving
• Protein: 4 g
• Fat: 2 g
• Carbs: 29 g

Ingredients

• 250g wholemeal spelt flour
• 150g honey
• 50g date syrup
• 40g coconut sugar
• 40g slivered almonds
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 unwaxed orange
• 2 tsp Printen spice
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

You’ll need: oven · saucepan · baking tray

1. Warm the honey, date syrup and water in a pan until everything is runny, then let the mixture cool until lukewarm.
2. Mix the wholemeal spelt flour, Printen spice, grated orange zest, slivered almonds and coconut sugar. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in 1 tsp water and stir it into the flour with the honey.
3. Knead everything into a firm dough, wrap it in cling film and leave it to rest overnight at room temperature.
4. Roll the dough out 5 mm thick on baking paper and cut it into 24 rectangles of about 3 by 8 cm.
5. Bake the Printen in a preheated oven at 180 °C (160 °C fan) for 12 to 14 minutes and brush them with a little honey water straight away.
6. Leave them to cool on the tray and store them for a few days, until they soften slightly.

Good to know

Proper Printen are hard and spiced and crunch with every bite. Here coconut sugar takes the place of rock sugar and gives the dough its typical crunchy bits.

Swaps

Honey → sugar beet syrup (the classic Printen flavour). Coconut sugar → coarsely chopped dates (softer). Slivered almonds → chopped hazelnuts. Printen spice → gingerbread spice with a pinch of anise.

Cooking tips

Resting the dough overnight makes it supple and lets the spices develop. If you like soft Printen, put a piece of apple in the tin for a day.

Storage

Keeps for 4 to 6 weeks in a cookie tin.

Allergens

Contains gluten and almonds, no milk or egg; honey is not suitable for children under one year old, fine during pregnancy.

Dairy-free recipes