Lebkuchen
The Flavor of These Traditional German Honey-Spice Cookies Improves After a Couple of Days.
Ingredients List
- ¾ cup - honey
- ¾ cup - Domino® Brown Sugar
- ½ cup - blanched almonds, toasted
- ½ cup - blanched hazelnuts, toasted
- 2 cups - all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon - baking soda
- 1 teaspoon - ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon - ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon - ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon - ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon - ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon - salt
- 2 - eggs
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon - orange zest
- ½ cup - candied citron (lemon and orange peels)
Plain glaze:
- 1 ½ cup - Domino® Confectioners Sugar
- 1 tablespoon - orange or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons - hot water
Chocolate glaze:
- 1 ½ cups - Domino® Confectioners Sugar
- ¼ cup - cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon - orange or lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons - hot water
Instructions
Heat honey and brown sugar in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture is thin. Remove from heat and cool until just warm, about 10 to15 minutes. In food processor, finely grind almonds and hazelnuts with 2 tablespoons of flour. In medium bowl, sift remaining flour with baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir in ground nuts and set aside. In stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat eggs on medium speed for several minutes until light colored and thick. Add cooled honey mixture and mix until combined. Add flour mixture and mix with paddle attachment until combined. Dough will be very stiff and sticky. Add zests and candied citron and mix just until incorporated. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a medium (1 ¾ –inch) cookie scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown. Prepare glaze(s), below, as cookies bake. Remove cookie sheets from oven and immediately transfer baked cookies to a cookie rack. Use an offset spatula to spread glaze over top of each cookie. Let stand until completely cool and the icing is set, about 1 hour.
Plain glaze:
Sift confectioners' sugar. Add juice and water to make a thick but runny glaze.
Chocolate glaze:
Sift confectioners' sugar with cocoa powder. Add juice and enough water to make a thick but runny glaze.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Recipe courtesy Anita Chu, Dessert First.