These delectable chewy cookies have the flavor of honey, cinnamon and citrus peel. Recipes of Lebkuchen with honey and spices date back to medieval times. This recipe was passed to Kurt by his mother who wrote the recipe in her kitchen notebook in 1912. The cookies are typical of the Swabian region of southwestern Germany.
Ingredients:
2,200g honey
500g sugar
250g almonds
125g candied lemon peel
125g candied orange peel
grated rinds of 2 lemons
30g cinnamon
15g baking powder
1,250g flour
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
Sift the flour, cinnamon and the baking powder to mix them well; set aside.
Grind the almonds in a food processor until fine; put them in a bowl with the sugar.
Shred the candied peels and add them and the grated lemon rind to the bowl with
the almonds and sugar.
Bring the honey to a boil on the stove top and pour it into the bowl with the
almonds, rinds and sugar; mix well to dissolve the sugar.
When the entire mass has cooled down so that it is warm to the touch, start adding the flour with the
cinnamon and the baking powder to form a dough. Roll the dough on a floured counter
to a thickness of 4 or 5 millimeters and use cookie cutters to create the cookies.
Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
While warm, brush the cookies with the sugar glaze and add sprinkles if desired.