Desserts · By James
Aunt Kathy's Lebkuchen (German Festive Cookies)
Kathy explained that this family recipe for the lebkuchen was from Alex's mom, a wonderful German cook. The first time that Kathy shared these with us, many years ago at a Christmas gathering at Jayne and Greg's, I was so amazed by them, as was anyone who hadn't yet had them, that I asked (read begged) for the recipe. Kathy proceeded to rattle it off from memory (clearly a treasured recipe), and promised to write it out for me. We've made them just twice in our family — being away during the Christmas break most years in recent memory has been the culprit. I'd like to start making them in November, before we leave for the holidays — they are just so good! The chewy texture, with the citrus peel, warm spice flavor, and rich honeyed sweetness, is irresistible. It's no wonder that lebkuchen have long been a treasured German festive cookie.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2½ cups honey
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¾ cup candied orange/lemon peel (homemade, if you have the time)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1½ cups almond slices — lightly toasted
- 4½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- Optional: ½ tsp each of ground nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and allspice (not in original recipe)
- ½ tbsp baking soda
Glaze
- ⅔ cup icing sugar
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp water
The Day Before
- 1
Combine honey and sugar and heat until just beginning to boil, but don't boil.
- 2
Add the candied peel, lemon zest, and toasted almond slices to the hot honey/sugar mixture — stir to combine.
- 3
Cool the mixture in the fridge and then add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda. You will need a sturdy wooden spoon to stir this mixture until thoroughly combined.
- 4
Now, cover with plastic wrap and leave to stand at room temperature until the following day.
Baking Day
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (conventional), or 325°F (convection).
- 2
Roll the mixture into walnut sized balls and bake on parchment paper for 10 minutes.
- 3
Allow to cool a bit (up to 5 minutes) so they come off the parchment more easily.
- 4
Remove onto cooling racks and immediately brush on the glaze while the cookies are still warm.
A note from James
Start this recipe the day before! The icing will harden if you make it in advance, so make it just before the cookies come out of the oven, and cover the icing until ready to brush on. Makes about 120 cookies — Kathy doubles this. These last a long time in a sealed container, and freeze well, in the unlikely event that some are left over.
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