Basler Läckerli

The Basler Läckerli (also Leckerli or Läggerli) is a special kind of hard spice biscuit that comes from Basel, Switzerland. It is made with sweet honey, crunchy hazelnuts, almonds, colorful candied peel, and a special drink called Kirsch. After baking, the warm dough is covered with a shiny sugar glaze and then cut into neat rectangular pieces.

These tasty treats were first made by spice traders in Basel more than 700 years ago. Today, you can find Basler Läckerli all year long, making it a delicious piece of Swiss tradition that people enjoy anytime.

Recipe

Basler Läckerli are special treats made from wheat flour, honey, and pieces of orange and lemon peel, along with hazelnuts and almonds. The dough is rolled out thin and baked. After baking, it is covered with a sugar glaze and cut into rectangle shapes while it is still warm.

History

When spices from faraway places arrived in Europe in the 1100s, rich monasteries used them to add flavor to honey cakes. Soon, this tradition spread to towns, and by the 1400s, people in Switzerland began making special sweet treats like gingerbread. The word "Läckerli" was first used in Germany in 1591, and the first recipe for Swiss Läckerli appeared in 1621 in a book by a doctor from Bern.

In Basel, the first mention of Läckerli was in 1711, when a group of gardeners talked about "3 Läckerlin leaves." Before that, recipes used the word gingerbread. A story says Basler Läckerli were made for a big meeting in 1431, but this is probably not true because the needed ingredients weren’t available back then.

Word origin

The word Läggerli likely comes from the verb lägge, which means "to lick". It originally referred to sweets or candy. This is similar to other Swiss German words like Schläckwaar ("lick ware") and Schläckzüüg ("lick thing") that are used to talk about sweets in general.

Manufacturers

Läckerli are made by many companies in Switzerland, both in big factories and by hand in local bakeries, especially in Basel.

Some of the most well-known makers are:

• Läckerli Huus, the biggest company, started in 1904 in Basel. They make many kinds of Läckerli and chocolate treats in their factory and have shops all over Switzerland.
• Jakob's Basler Leckerly (officially Karl Jakob Nachf. von JJ Steiger sel. Erben AG) began in 1753 in Basel and says it is the oldest maker. Their Läckerli are made by hand and are about twice as thick as others.