Description
Lebkuchen Cookies are traditional German spiced gingerbread cookies perfect for the festive season. These soft, aromatic cookies combine honey, warm spices, and ground almonds, finished with a tangy lemon glaze for a delightful treat. Easy to prepare and ideal for gifting, the recipe includes an optional chocolate glaze and decorative toppings to personalize your cookies.
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: Measure the honey and dark brown sugar into a mixing bowl and microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves completely. Add the cubed unsalted butter and the orange zest, stirring until the butter melts into the mixture.
- Add baking agents and spices: Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, ground cloves, grated nutmeg, optional white pepper, lemon zest, and the beaten egg, mixing well to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Add dry ingredients: Incorporate the all-purpose flour and ground almonds into the wet mixture. Mix until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. If the dough feels too dry, add up to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to achieve the right consistency.
- Rest the dough: Lightly oil a spatula or your hands and gather the dough into a ball. 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 the oven and prepare glaze: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by mixing powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and optional rum in a bowl until smooth and runny.
- Shape the cookies: Divide the rested dough into thirds. On a silicone baking mat, roll out each portion to about 2 cm thickness. Use cookie cutters (round, star, or heart shapes) to cut the dough into shapes. Place the cookies spaced evenly on the silicone mat.
- Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Repeat shaping and baking with remaining dough pieces, gathering scraps and rolling out again as needed.
- Glaze and decorate: Transfer the warm cookies to a wire rack and brush them with the prepared glaze. Allow the glaze to dry, adding a second layer if desired. Decorate with sprinkles, sanding sugar, or flaked almonds while the glaze is still tacky.
- Store properly: Place cooled cookies in a cake tin separated by parchment paper to prevent sticking. Add orange peel strips to the tin to enhance flavor and aroma during storage. Lebkuchen cookies improve in taste as they rest, making them ideal for gifting.
Notes
- Chocolate glaze option: To cover Lebkuchen in chocolate, melt ½ cup (90 g) dark chocolate chips over a double boiler until almost melted, then remove from heat and stir in another ½ cup (90 g) chocolate chips until smooth. Dip the cookies into the melted chocolate and let them dry on a wire rack before storing.
- Using a silicone baking mat helps prevent sticking and makes transferring cookies easy.
- Resting the dough enhances the spice flavors and texture of the cookies.
- Adjust lemon juice in the glaze to your preferred level of tartness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 20 g)
- Calories: 95
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 3.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
