Description
Delight in the warm, spiced flavors of traditional German Lebkuchen Cookies, perfect for festive occasions. This recipe combines honey, aromatic spices, and ground almonds to create soft, chewy cookies finished with a zesty lemon glaze and optional decorative toppings. With a resting time that enhances flavor and a simple baking process, these Lebkuchen are both authentic and irresistibly delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Lebkuchen
- ½ cup (170 g) honey
- 1 cup (200 g) dark soft brown sugar (Muscovado sugar)
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp white pepper (optional)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose/plain flour
- 1 cup (100 g) ground almonds (almond flour)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (use only if dough is a bit dry)
- 1 tsp vegetable oil (for the bowl)
For the glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (or to taste)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp rum (optional)
To decorate (optional)
- Sprinkles or sanding sugar
- Flaked almonds
To store
- Orange peel strips
Instructions
- Prepare the honey and sugar mixture: Measure the honey and dark soft brown sugar into a mixing bowl and heat in 30-second bursts in the microwave, stirring vigorously after each until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Add butter and zest: Cube the unsalted butter and add to the warm honey-sugar mixture along with the orange zest. Stir until the butter melts thoroughly and blends well.
- Mix in dry ingredients and egg: Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground ginger, ground cloves, grated nutmeg, white pepper (if using), lemon zest, and the beaten egg until fully combined.
- Add flour and ground almonds: Fold in the all-purpose flour and ground almonds. Mix to form a soft, slightly sticky dough, adding lemon juice only if the dough feels too dry.
- Rest the dough: Lightly oil a spatula or your hands, gather the dough into a ball, and place it back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight at room temperature to develop flavors.
- Preheat oven and prepare glaze: Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). In a separate bowl, mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and optional rum until you achieve a thin, runny glaze.
- Shape the cookies: Divide the rested dough into three portions. Roll each portion out on a silicone baking mat to about 2cm thickness. Use round, star, or heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut the dough. Place shaped cookies spaced apart on the mat.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Repeat rolling and cutting with remaining dough and bake in batches.
- Glaze the cookies: Transfer the warm cookies onto a wire rack and brush the glaze over them while still warm. Allow the glaze to dry and apply a second layer if desired. Decorate with sprinkles, sanding sugar, or flaked almonds as preferred.
- Store: Once completely cooled and glazed, store the cookies layered with parchment paper in a cake tin. Place strips of orange peel in the tin to enhance flavor and freshness. Lebkuchen cookies improve in taste over time, making them excellent for gifting.
Notes
- Chocolate glaze option: To coat the Lebkuchen with chocolate, melt 90g dark chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl over simmering water (ensure bowl bottom doesn’t touch water). Remove from heat when almost melted, add another 90g chocolate chips, and stir gently until fully melted. Dip cooled cookies into the melted chocolate and allow to dry on a wire rack before storing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 25 g)
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 4.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
