Today, many are beginning a long, dangerous trek. Some are facing the Dead Marshes, the evil of Mordor, and Shelob the great spider-creature, who eats all living beings caught in her webs. Others are facing the Swamplands of Homework, the Pits of Procrastination, and the impossible Due-Date beasts, which mercilessly spring upon you without warning. All such expeditions are nigh impossible. Unless, of course, you happen to pass by Lothlórien, a forest kingdom where the fair elves tread, and are gifted with some lembas for your journey. Lembas, or elven waybread, strengthens those who have long roads ahead of them. Whether it is to Mount Doom or to a class that started twenty minutes ago, this ROCK (Recipe for One-of-a-kind Characters in the Kitchen) will boost the endurance of all elves, men, dwarves, and wizards in any dire circumstance.
Lembas will take about 40 minutes to make and provide 20 cookies. Although this recipe produces a cookie-like lembas, readers should know that Tolkien describes it as a “cake.” Before beginning, collect the following elven ingredients:
- 510g flour*
- A pinch of salt
- 255g brown sugar
- 236ml water*
- 1 teaspoon rose water or orange extract, optional*
- 128g dried fruit, diced
- 128g nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, cashews), shelled
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a cookie tray with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour into a medium bowl. Add in the salt and sugar. Set aside.
- Pour the water and extract (if using) into the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon. If the dough has mostly come together but flour still remains in the bowl, knead the dough with your hands until most of the flour is incorporated and there are little or no lumps. Be very careful; over kneading the dough can result in tough cookies. The dough should be smooth and cleanly pull away from your hand when touched, even if it is slightly sticky.
- Roll the dough out to ½ in. thickness. Trim the edges. Using a knife (non-serrated edge), cut the dough into 2 in. x 2 in. squares and place the pieces on the prepared cookie tray. With the knife, cut two diagonal lines from the corners of each cookie to form an X shape. Sprinkle the cookies with the dried fruit and nuts. Gently push them into the dough to stick.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the cookie tray and brush the top of the cookies with some water.* Bake for another 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Pack up the lembas and embark on your adventure!
Tips & Tricks:
Flour: I like to add an extra 90g of flour because in the past my batter was too sticky to roll.
Water: The original recipe only uses water. I prefer using a mix of 76g melted butter and 160ml of water or milk. I tested the recipe with the original 236ml of water and the mix of butter and water/milk. I found that the cookies with butter are less chewy and taste better than the ones with only water, but you may choose either method.
Rose Water or Orange Extract: The original recipe does not call for either rose water or orange extract, but the water or extract will give the cookies a gentle hint of fruity flavor.
Brushing Water: The original recipe says only to brush with water. However, I preferred the taste of the lembas when it is brushed with honey water. To include this into the recipe, follow this step after #1: In a small bowl or cup, mix ½ teaspoon honey with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside. Use the honey water in step #6.
Source:
Beaupommier, Aurélia. “The Wizard’s Cookbook.” New York, Skyhorse Publishing, 10 November 2018, pg. 123-125.
Photo Credit:
Peter and Alexia. “The Wizard’s Cookbook.” Skyhorse Publishing, 10 November 2018, pg. 123.