The Basler Läckerli (also Leckerli or Läggerli, meaning "delicious" in German and ''-li'' being a

diminutive A diminutive is a word obtained by modifying a root word to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment, and sometimes to belittle s ...

suffix) is a traditional hard

spice In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...

biscuit A biscuit is a flour-based baked food item. Biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also be savoury, similar to crackers. ...

originating from

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. It is made of

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

hazelnuts The hazelnut is the nut (fruit), fruit of the hazel, hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus ''Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or fil ...

almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree from the genus ''Prunus''. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus ''Amygdalus'', distinguished from the other subgenera ...

candied peel Candied fruit, also known as glacé fruit, is whole fruit, smaller pieces of fruit, or pieces of peel, placed in heated sugar syrup, which absorbs the moisture from within the fruit and eventually preserves it. Depending on the size and type ...

, and

Kirsch ''Kirschwasser'' (, , ; German for 'cherry water'), or just ''Kirsch'' (; the term used in Switzerland and France, less so in Germany), is a clear, colourless brandy from Germany, Switzerland, and France, traditionally made from double distill ...

. After baking in a thin layer, the still hot dough is topped with a sugar glaze and cut into rectangular pieces. Basler Läckerli were originally created by local spice merchants over 700 years ago and are available year-round.

Recipe

Basler Läckerli are made primarily from wheat flour, honey, candied fruit (orange peel, lemon peel) and nuts (hazelnuts, almonds). The dough is rolled out flat, baked, then brushed over with a sugar glaze and cut into rectangular pieces (the Läckerli) while still warm.

History

When the trade in oriental spices reached Europe in the 11th century, the wealthy monasteries were the first to use them to flavor honey cakes. This custom gradually spread to the towns, starting the gingerbread craft in Switzerland in the 15th century. From the 17th century, the first different gingerbread and treat recipes appeared in cookbooks. "Läckerli" or "Läckerle" are or were widespread in southern Germany and German-speaking Switzerland. The word is first attested from Augsburg in 1591 («111 Leckherle at 4 Kreuzer and 324 other Leckherle at 3 Kreuzer»); the first Swiss Läckerli recipe can be found in the 1621 handbook of Abraham Schneuwly, a doctor in Bern («Frauw Anna Von Hallweil to make little treats»). Other early Läckerli recipes are attested from St. Gallen (1640), Zofingen (1677), Schaffhausen (1684), Graubünden (1689) and Zurich (end of the 17th century). In Basel, the Läckerli appear for the first time in a statement by the gardeners' guild of October 10, 1711, where "3 Läckerlin leaves" are mentioned;Albert Spycher: ''Leckerli aus Basel. Ein oberrheinisches Lebkuchenbuch.'' Buchverlag Basler Zeitung, Basel 1991, p. 81. in previous the recipe books the term

gingerbread Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger root, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly ...

was used. The widespread legend that the Basler Läckerli were created for the members of the Council of Basel in 1431 is unlikely to be correct, since the customs and department store records of the Basel-Stadt State Archives do not indicate that the essential ingredients for the Basler Läckerli were available on the market in Basel in the 15th century.

Word origin

The noun is probably derived from the verb ''lägge'' ("to lick") and originally meant "sweets" or "confectionery"; compare the words ''Schläckwaar'' ("lick ware") and ''Schläckzüüg'' ("lick thing") for sweets in general.

Manufacturers

Läckerli are made by various producers in Switzerland, both industrially (including by Jowa AG in Gossau for

Migros Migros () is Switzerland's largest retail company, its largest supermarket chain and largest employer. It is also one of the forty largest retailers in the world. It is structured in the form of a cooperative federation (the Federation of Migros ...

) and by hand, especially by numerous Basel bakeries. Specialists in Läckerli production are: * Läckerli Huus, the market leader, was founded in 1904 on Breisacherstrasse in

, with production in Münchenstein from 1906 to 2014, and in Frenkendorf since then. Läckerli Huus produces a wide range of Läckerli and chocolate products in their factory and operates stores throughout Switzerland. * Jakob's Basler Leckerly (actually Karl Jakob Nachf. von JJ Steiger sel. Erben AG) was founded in 1753 in Basel and is the oldest manufacturer, according to their own statements. This manufacturer's Läckerli are handmade and are about twice as thick as Läckerli from other manufacturers.

References

External links