Lebkuchen

Submitted by Mimpard

"This is a German recipe that has been in our family for years and a part of our Christmas tradition. Over the years I've made some substitutions and found the recipe accommodating. I like to substitute dried currants and other dried fruits for some of the candied fruit. The cookies are best after they have aged in a sealed plastic container for several days, and they will keep for weeks at room temperature in the plastic container. They are sweet, spicy, soft, and chewy. The transparent glaze makes them pretty and I've gotten creative with using rum or bourbon instead of water and vanilla, you can also play with food color. These cookies are easier to bake if you use the silicone baking sheets or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to the pan."

 

• Ready In: 72hrs 10mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Yields: 120 cookies
• Serves: 120

ingredients

• 1 1⁄3 cups honey
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 6 cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon clove
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 3 cups candied fruit (as in fruit cake)

• Transparent glaze

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

directions

1. Mix honey, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup water in medium saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup butter to the sugar mixture (to melt) and cool this mixture approx 30 minutes.
2. While the sugar mixture cools, mix the flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, nuts, and fruit in a large mixer bowl.
3. Add the cooled sugar/butter mixture to the flour mixture along with the 2 slightly beaten eggs. and mix thoroughly. I use my kitchen aid mixer with the dough attachment. The dough will be thick, and sticky.
4. Place the dough in a covered plastic or glass container and let the dough "ripen" for a few days in the refrigerator.
5. On baking day: Roll the dough on a slightly floured board to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the rolled dough into 1 x 3 inch strips and place on a greased baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack, and cover with transparent glaze. Lebkuchen should ripen in cake box or plastic container at lease one day before serving.
6. For the transparent glaze, mix the sugar, water, vanilla together and spread thinly on the cookies.