Lebkuchen or German Honey Cakes
Submitted by tunelover
Traditional German Lebkuchen honey cakes spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg, studded with candied citron and brushed with a clear sugar glaze.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
7 hrsCOOK
10 minREADY
8 hrsLebkuchen are Germany’s answer to gingerbread, but richer and more complex. Honey and brown sugar form the sweet base, while a full spice rack of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg creates that warm, aromatic character that’s synonymous with German Christmas markets.
The dough must chill for at least 6 hours, and that’s not a suggestion. Warm dough is a sticky nightmare that won’t roll. Cold dough handles beautifully, rolls thin, and cuts into clean rectangles. Make it the night before and bake the next day.
Candied citron folded into the dough adds chewy, bittersweet pops of flavor throughout each cookie. It’s a traditional ingredient that separates real Lebkuchen from generic spice cookies. If you can’t find citron, candied orange peel is a reasonable substitute.
Roll ¼ inch thick and cut into small rectangles. They bake in 10 to 12 minutes at a high heat, just until the edges take on a little color. While still warm, brush with a clear glaze of powdered sugar and water that hardens into a shiny, slightly sweet shell as it cools.
Here’s the important part: these cookies need to mellow. Store them airtight for several days before eating. Fresh from the oven they’re hard and one-dimensional. After aging, they soften and the spice flavors deepen and blend.
Pro Tips
- Chill the dough a full 6 hours minimum. Overnight is even better.
- Roll only half the dough at a time. Keep the other half refrigerated or it will warm up and stick.
- Brush the glaze on while cookies are still warm. It won’t adhere or harden properly on cool cookies.
- Store in an airtight container for at least 3 days before serving. Patience pays off here.
Variations
- Press a blanched almond half into the center of each cookie before baking for a classic Nuremberg presentation.
- Dip cooled Lebkuchen in melted dark chocolate for a richer, more festive finish.
- Replace citron with dried cranberries for a tart, modern twist.
Ingredients
Directions
Put the honey and the sugar in a mixing bowl, and beat until blended.
Add the egg and beat very well.
Stir in the lemon juice.
Combine the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice, and sift them together onto a piece of waxed paper.
Add to the honey mixture and beat well.
Stir in the citron.
Cover the bowl, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (The dough will be much easier to roll out if it is well chilled).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease some cookie sheets.
Place ½ of the dough on a lightly floured surface (keep the other half chilled).
Roll the dough into a large rectangle about ¼ inch thick, sprinkling flour as necessary to keep it from sticking.
With a sharp knife, cut the dough into rectangles about 1½ by 2½ inches.
Place about 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
Roll out the other half while you are baking the first batch of cookies.
Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly colored.
Remove from the oven, and gently lift the cookies off the sheets, and onto wire racks to cool. While the cookies are still warm, brush with a clear glaze, if you wish.
Store airtight for at least several days, so the cookies can mellow.
Clear Glaze: Brush glaze on cookies as soon as they come from the oven to give them a clear, shiny top, and to add a little sweetness.
The glaze will harden as it dries, and the cookies cool.
Combine the sugar and water and mix well, to dissolve any lumps, and to make a smooth runny glaze.
Brush or spoon on cookies while they are still warm.
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