Description
Lebkuchen are traditional German spice cookies with a soft, slightly sticky dough packed full of warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. These cookies are glazed with a sweet lemon glaze that adds a bright finish, perfect for holiday celebrations or cozy afternoons. The recipe includes a dough that rests for enhanced flavor and texture, then baked to a tender, fragrant cookie.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- ½ cup honey
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp rum (optional)
Instructions
- Mix Honey and Sugar: In a glass bowl, combine the honey and dark brown sugar. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, then stir to dissolve the sugar fully. If necessary, heat an additional 15-30 seconds until fully dissolved.
- Add Butter and Lemon Zest: Immediately add the cubed butter and lemon zest to the mixture, stirring continuously until the butter melts completely.
- Incorporate Leavening, Salt, Spices, and Egg: Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, ground cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and the beaten egg until well combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients and Lemon Juice: Add the all-purpose flour and ground almonds to the wet mixture. Mix to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add lemon juice gradually to help the dough come together but avoid making it too wet, as it needs to be rolled out later.
- Form Ball and Rest Dough: Spray your hands lightly with cooking spray, gather the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a towel, and let it rest for at least one hour or overnight at room temperature to develop flavor.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Glaze: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). While the oven heats, prepare the glaze by mixing powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and optional rum in a small bowl until smooth and thin.
- Roll Dough: Divide the dough into thirds. On a silicone baking mat, roll out each piece to about ¾ inch thickness, just under 1 inch.
- Cut Cookies: Use a cookie cutter to cut out circles from the rolled dough.
- Bake Cookies: Place the cookie rounds spaced on the silicone mat and bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes until set.
- Repeat Rolling and Baking: Gather scraps, roll out again, cut, and bake remaining dough in batches.
- Glaze Cookies: Transfer baked cookies carefully to a wire rack. While they are still slightly warm, brush them with the lemon glaze using a pastry brush.
- Finish Glazing: Allow the glaze to dry, then apply a second layer if desired. Optionally, the Lebkuchen can be dipped or covered in chocolate as per recipe notes.
Notes
- Resting the dough for at least an hour or overnight enhances the flavor and texture.
- Use cooking spray on your hands to prevent the dough from sticking while shaping.
- Be cautious with the amount of lemon juice to maintain the dough’s consistent texture for rolling.
- For a richer finish, consider dipping the cooled Lebkuchen in melted dark chocolate.
- Store glazed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
