Basler Leckerli (Swiss Spiced Hard Bars)

photo by Artandkitchen



- Ready In:
- 1hr 20mins
- Ingredients:
- 16
- Yields:
-
100-150 cookies
ingredients
-
Dough
- 800 g honey
- 300 g unbleached slivered almonds
- 400 g sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 pinches ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
- 100 g candied orange peel, chopped
- 100 g candied lemon peel, chopped
- 1 lemons lemon, grated zest only (optional)
- 60 ml kirsch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (optional) or 1 teaspoon potash (optional)
- 1000 g flour
-
Glaze
- 250 g sugar
- 110 ml water
directions
- Melt honey very slowly in a pan, add almonds, sugar and swirl until the sugar is melted too.
- Let cool slightly.
- Add all other ingredients until the Kirsch and mix well.
- Add the flour and eventually the baking soda and work to a compact dough.
- Roll the dough out on two greased baking sheets approximately 5 mm thick.
- Store overnight.
- Preheat the oven at 180°C (heat and timing are basing it on convection oven).
- Prepare the glaze heating in a pot water and sugar until boiling point. Reduce the heat but let it boil slowly.
- Bake 15-20 minutes at 180°C (I need 18 minutes).
- In the meanwhile the glaze should be ready. It takes about 15 to 20 Minutes until it thickens, it’s bound and crystals appear.
- Remove from the heat but keep on a slightly warm plate.
- When the dough is baked, remove pans to a rack and immediately cut in rectangles (but don’t separate them completely) brush the tops with glaze.
- When cooled dived the rectangles and store in airtight containers.
- Note: you can built a gingerbread house with this dough! I used 3 fold quantities for the gingerbread house of the picture!
Questions & Replies

Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
-
These cookies are delicious tasting however I had problems with the dough being crumbly. I'm giving the rating of 4-stars for taste alone. I think it may be a mistake I made in the translation of the recipe measurements to ounces. It could also be that the honey I used made the consistency wrong too. Since the dough was crumbly and wouldn't roll out, I wound up making individual round cookies. After a long search for kirsch I finally found something called Kirschwasser. Made for Veg 'N Swap tag.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Artandkitchen
Switzerland
I'm a wife, mother, beekeeper, food addicted and lover of nature as well as travels.
Travelling I discovered the pleasures for the food, his colors, taste and spices. Now I?m really devoted to food photography and I love experimenting with new recipes to share them with my family and the world.
My main inspirations:
Italy: my roots
Switzerland: homeland
Greece: adopted homeland
Travelling: spices and dreams
Herbs and Bees: education in biology
Colors and shapes: love eat with eyes as well