Description
Lebkuchen Cookies are traditional German spice cookies, rich with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, sweetened with honey and brown sugar, and often glazed with a lemony icing. These soft and chewy treats are perfect for the holiday season and make an ideal gift when stored with orange peel to enhance their flavor.
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, adjust as needed)
- 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 dough: Combine the honey and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and heat in 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Incorporate butter and zest: Add cubed unsalted butter along with orange and lemon zest, stirring until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth.
- Add leavening and spices: Stir in baking powder, baking soda, salt, all the spices (cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, white pepper), and the beaten egg until fully combined.
- Mix dry ingredients: Fold in the all-purpose flour and ground almonds. Mix to form a soft, slightly sticky dough, adding a tablespoon of lemon juice if the dough feels too dry.
- Rest the dough: Lightly oil a spatula or your hands and shape the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to overnight to develop flavor and texture.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare the glaze by mixing powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and rum until thin and runny.
- Roll and cut cookies: Divide dough into thirds. Roll out on a silicone baking mat to about 2 cm (just under an inch) thick. Cut into shapes using round, star, or heart cookie cutters, spacing them evenly.
- Bake: Place cookies on the baking mat and bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough, gathering scraps to roll out again.
- Glaze the cookies: Transfer warm cookies to a wire rack and brush them with the glaze immediately so it adheres well. Allow the glaze to dry, add a second layer if desired.
- Decorate (optional): Sprinkle sanding sugar, sprinkles, or flaked almonds on top while glaze is still wet for decoration.
- Store: Place cookies in a cake tin separated by parchment paper with a few strips of orange peel to keep them fresh. Lebkuchen cookies improve in flavor the longer they are stored, making them a perfect festive gift.
Notes
- Chocolate glaze option: To cover the Lebkuchen in chocolate, melt ½ cup (90 g) dark chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water. Remove from heat before all chips melt, add another ½ cup (90 g) chips, and stir gently until smooth. Dip cookies in chocolate and let them dry on a wire rack before storing.
- You can adjust lemon juice in the glaze to reach your preferred consistency and tanginess.
- Resting the dough overnight enhances the flavor and texture of the cookies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 25 g)
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 75 mg
- Fat: 4.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
