Lebkuchen Cookies
User Reviews
4.7
-
Prep Time
10 mins
-
Cook Time
12 mins
-
Additional Time
1 hr
-
Total Time
1 hr 22 mins
-
Servings
30 - 40 cookies
-
Calories
125 kcal
-
Course
Baked Goods
-
Cuisine
German
Lebkuchen Cookies
Description
This Lebkuchen recipe involves warming honey and sugar together, then stirring in butter, citrus zest, leavening agents, spices, and eggs. Ground almonds and flour are folded in to create a soft, slightly sticky dough that rests covered for at least an hour to develop flavor and texture. The dough is rolled to about 2cm thickness and cut into shapes before baking at 350°F for around 12 minutes until set.
After baking, the cookies are glazed with a thin mixture of icing sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and optionally rum, which adds brightness and shine. Decorations like almonds or sprinkles can be added while the glaze is wet. For additional variation, some Lebkuchen are dipped in melted dark chocolate once cooled, adding richness and contrast to the spices.
These cookies have a fragrant warmth from the spices and a tender crumb from the honey and almonds. They can be stored well and make a traditional festive treat.
Ingredients
For the Lebkuchen
- 1/2 cup honey 170 g
- 1 cup dark brown sugar Muscovado sugar, soft, 200 g
- ¼ cup butter unsalted, 60 g
- 1 egg large, beaten
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice use only if dough is a bit dry
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour plain / all purpose, 300 g
- 1 cup almond ground
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp cloves ground
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg grated
- ⅛ tsp white pepper (optional)
- 1 tsp vegetable oil , for the bowl
For the glaze
- 1 cup icing sugar powdered sugar, 120 g
- lemon juice of 1
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 1 tsp rum optional
To decorate (optional)
- Sprinkles or sanding sugar
- almonds flaked
To store
- orange peel strips
Instructions
- Measure the honey and sugar in a mixing bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 second bursts. Stir together vigorously with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves.
- Add the cubed butter and zest and stir until the butter melts.
- Stir in the baking powder, soda, salt and spices and egg.
- Add the flour and ground almonds. Mix until you have a soft and slightly sticky dough, adding a little lemon juice as needed.
- Mist a spatula or your hands with oil and gather the dough into a ball. Cover the mixing bowl with a towel and leave to rest for at least an hour or even overnight at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare the glaze: mix together all the ingredients in a bowl until you have a thin and runny glaze.
- Divide the dough into thirds. Roll the dough on a silicone baking mat to a thickness of 2cm (just under an inch).
- Cut shapes using round, star or heart cookie cutters. Space the cookies out on the silicone mat and bake for 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough, gathering up any scraps and rolling out again and bake in batches.
- Transfer the cookies carefully to a wire rack and brush with the glaze while they are still a little warm.
- Leave the glaze to dry and add a second layer if desired. Add sanding sugar, sprinkles or slivered almonds to decorate if you like. Check the recipe notes if you want to cover the lebkuchen in chocolate.
- Put the cookies in a cake tin, separated by parchment paper so that they don’t stick. Place a few strips of orange peel in the tin. Lebkuchen become more delicious the longer you keep them making them the ideal festive gift!
Notes
- For a chocolate-coated Lebkuchen variation, melt dark chocolate chips gently in a bowl over simmering water, then dip the cooled cookies and allow them to dry on a wire rack.
- Chilling the dough overnight at room temperature improves the flavors and texture of the cookies.
- Use a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking when rolling and baking the dough.
- Adjust lemon juice in the dough only if the dough is dry, to maintain proper consistency for rolling.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 30- 40 cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 125 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 125kcal | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 22g | 7% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 5mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 98mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 39mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 16g | 32% |
| Vitamin A | 76IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 25mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
You'll Also Love
