Lebkuchen
36 cookies
Lebkuchen are traditional German Christmas cookies! They're soft and cake-like, sweetened with honey and molasses, and full of festive spices. Plan ahead! These cookies taste better with age.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses
Optional Add-ins:
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup chopped mixed candied fruits and peels finely chopped
For the Lemon Glaze:
- 1 egg white slightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 dash salt
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice). Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then add brown sugar, beating until fluffy.
- Mix in the honey and molasses.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until combined.
- Fold in the slivered almonds and chopped mixed candied fruits and peels if using.
- Chill the dough for 2 hours or overnight. Once chilled, roll the dough on a floured surface to ¼ inch thickness and cut out shapes with cookie cutters or use a knife and cut into 3 x 2 inch rectangles. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Preheat the oven at 350°F (180°C), or 160°C if you have a fan oven.
- Bake cookies in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes or until done.
- Let the cookies cool slightly on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.
For the Lemon Glaze:
- While the cookies are still warm, combine the egg white, lemon juice, grated lemon peel, and a dash of salt in a bowl.
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar until smooth.
- With a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the warm cookies.
Notes
- Choose simple shapes: These cookies will spread and puff up while baking, so any detailed cookie shapes won't work well. Try using a heart, star, snowflake, or circle cutter with lebkuchen.
- Add more icing: You can do more than one layer of lemon icing if you'd like. Let the first layer dry, then go back with more icing for the second round.
- If you'd like to add piping designs, try my royal icing recipe instead.
- Try chocolate: Dip the tops of the cookies in melted dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate to make them extra decadent.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container with an apple slice (for moisture) for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg