Magenbrot translates to ‘stomach bread,’ which doesn’t sound terribly appealing. But the name refers to the stomach-friendly spices used to make this holiday specialty found throughout northern Switzerland and southern Germany. Cloves, cinnamon, star anise and mace are the traditional spices, but any gingerbread spice works just as well.
The dough is a simple mixture baked in the form of logs, then cut into diamond shapes or something like the classic Italian biscotti. The cooled ‘bread’ pieces are tossed with a sweet and spiced cocoa glaze and cooled further to allow the glaze to set.
Homemade Maggenbrot keeps for 3-5 days in an airtight container…but I’m guessing they will disappear long before that.
Difficulty: simple to moderate
Yield: makes 25-35
Ingredients
250 grams (1 cup + 1 tablespoon) all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
30 grams (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon gingerbread spices
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon apple vinegar
120 ml (1/2 cup) soy milk
2 tablespoons unrefined rapeseed oil
100 grams (1/2 cup) of sugar
2 tablespoons egg replacer
Glaze
260 grams (1 1/4 cups) of sugar
90 ml (3/4 cup) water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
30 grams (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon gingerbread spices
Method
Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, gingerbread spices and sea salt into a large mixing bowl.
Combine the apple vinegar and soy milk and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whip together the unrefined rapeseed oil, sugar and egg replacer. Continue to beat the mixture until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes pale and slightly thick. Add the reserved vinegar-soy milk mixture and mix for one minute.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to create a smooth dough. Briefly knead the dough, place it in a clean bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour (ideally overnight).
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 2 cm (1 inch) in diameter. Place the logs onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Leave about 5 cm (2 inches) of space between the logs. Bake for 12-15 minutes. The logs are baked when they appear to start taking on a golden color. Cool the logs completely.
Once the logs are cooled, cut them into angular pieces about 2 cm (1 inch) thick.
Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat, then add the cocoa powder and gingerbread spices.
Warm a stainless-steel bowl in hot water. Dry out the bowl’s interior and add 1/2 of the Magenbrot pieces and 1/2 of the glaze. Turn the pieces well to coat them evenly. Carefully remove the Magenbrot, place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, and allow the glaze to set. Repeat with the remaining Magenbrot pieces and glaze.
Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Tips and Variations
You can make your gingerbread spice by combining 1 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground star anise and 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
White wine vinegar or rice vinegar are suitable substitutes for apple wine vinegar.
Soy milk has a higher concentration of fat to resist curdling when mixed with vinegar. Other plant-based kinds of milk work – especially any barista variation.
Substitute extra virgin olive oil for the unrefined rapeseed oil.
Use equal quantities of starch or arrowroot to replace the egg replacer.
Working in smaller batches the first time you make this Magenbrot recipe is helpful. Try working with 1/4 of the pieces and 1/4 of the glaze until you become comfortable with this glazing method.
The glazing does not need to be 100%. Slight imperfections are expected. Sometimes it is helpful to work with slightly thicker glazing –add 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa to the glaze mixture.
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