Lebkuchen 2

50 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 cup Honey
½ cup Molasses
1 cup Packed brown sugar
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon Grated orange peel
4½ cup All-purpose flour
1 cup Blanched almonds finely chopped
½ teaspoon Baking soda
¾ cup Granulated sugar
⅓ cup Water
1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoon Ground cloves
¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
¼ cup Candied orange peel finely chopped
2 tablespoons Finely chopped citron
Sugar glaze (see below)
Blanched-almond slices or red-candied-cherry pieces (if desired)
3 tablespoons Powdered sugar

Directions

SUGAR GLAZE

In a medium saucepan, bring honey, molasses and brown sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool until slightly warm.

In a large bowl, beat together cooled honey mixture, egg, lemon peel and orange peel. Add flour, chopped almonds, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, beating until blended. Stir in candied orange peel and citron until blended. Dough will be stiff, but sticky. Wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight. To bake cookies, preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease baking sheets. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Work with 1 portion of dough at a time. On a floured surface, roll dough ¼ inch thick. Using floured 2-½- inch cookie cutters, cut into hearts or rounds. Place cookies 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 12 minutes or until done. Meanwhile, prepare Sugar Glaze; keep hot. Remove cookies from baking sheets; cool on racks. Brush hot cookies with hot Sugar Glaze. Decorate with almond slices and candied cherries, if desired. Allow cookies to dry.

Store in an airtight container 1 to 2 weeks to age and soften. Put a slice of apple in the container to help soften the cookies. It will take a few days, but check daily to make sure apple doesn't mold.

Makes about 50 (3-inch) hearts or rounds.

SUGAR SYRUP:

In a medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar.

VARIATION:

Lebkuchen Bars: Line 2 (15" x 10") jelly-roll pans with foil; grease foil. On well-floured waxed paper, roll each dough portion into a 15" x 10" rectangle. Invert dough on greased foil-lined pan. Peel off waxed paper. Score into 3" x 2" rectangles. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Cut along scored marks. Brush hot cookies with hot Sugar Glaze. Decorate with almond slices and candied cherries, if desired.

Cool in pan 15 minutes; then remove to racks to cool completely.

Makes 50 (3" x 2") cookies.

From HP Books "Cookies", by Natalie Hartanov Haughton, 1983, ISBN 0-89586-254-9.

Submitted By ALAN BURGSTAHLER On 02-19-95

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