German · Dessert · Medium
Lebkuchen
Soft German gingerbread: honey-sweetened spice cookies on crisp wafers, glazed and studded with almonds and candied citrus.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Lebkuchen, in 5 ideas
- The dough is sticky by design; damp hands make it manageable
- Oblaten wafers keep the bottoms crisp and are traditional
- The spice blend is flexible; add nutmeg or allspice to taste
- They taste better after 2 to 3 days as the flavors meld
- Dip half in dark chocolate for an extra-special version
What you need
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup chopped candied orange peel
- 24 round baking wafers (oblaten)
- 1 cup powdered sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons water for glaze
How to make it
Directions
- Warm the honey, brown sugar, and butter in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.
- Mix the flour, almonds, spices, and baking soda. Stir in the honey mixture, eggs, and candied peel to form a sticky dough. Rest 30 minutes.
- Place a wafer on a lined baking sheet and spread or press about 2 tablespoons of dough over it, doming slightly.
- Bake at 325 F for 15 to 18 minutes until firm and lightly browned.
- Brush the warm cookies with the sugar glaze and decorate with almond halves if you like.
- Cool completely and store airtight; they soften and improve over a few days.
Money saver. Buy honey in bulk at warehouse stores; lebkuchen uses a lot of it and small jars get expensive.