Description
Traditional German Lebkuchen cookies, rich with warm spices and a hint of citrus zest, offering a soft yet slightly sticky dough that bakes to a chewy, flavorful treat. Finished with a delicate lemon-vanilla glaze and optional decorations, these festive cookies are perfect for holiday gifting and sharing.
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 flour
- 1 cup (100 g) ground almonds (almond flour)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (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)
- 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: In a mixing bowl, combine honey and dark brown sugar. Heat in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Add butter and citrus zest: Add cubed unsalted butter along with orange zest and stir until the butter melts fully into the mixture.
- Incorporate baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices: Stir in baking powder, baking soda, fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, optional white pepper, lemon zest, and the beaten egg until fully blended.
- Add dry ingredients: Gradually mix in the all-purpose flour and ground almonds until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. If dough feels dry, add up to 1 tbsp lemon juice as needed.
- Form and rest dough: Lightly oil a spatula or your hands, gather the dough into a ball, and cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough rest at room temperature for at least one hour or overnight for best flavor development.
- Preheat oven and prepare glaze: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and optional rum until smooth and pourable.
- Shape cookies: Divide the dough into three portions. Roll each portion on a silicone baking mat to about 2 cm thickness. Using cookie cutters (round, star, or heart shapes), cut out shapes and lay them spaced apart on the baking mat.
- Bake the cookies: Bake each batch for 12 minutes until just cooked through but still soft. Repeat rolling and cutting with leftover dough scraps.
- Glaze and decorate: Transfer warm cookies to a wire rack. While still warm, brush each cookie generously with the lemon-vanilla glaze. Allow glaze to dry and apply a second coat if desired. Decorate with sprinkles, sanding sugar, or flaked almonds if using.
- Store: Store the cooled and glazed cookies in a cake tin separated by parchment paper to prevent sticking. Place strips of fresh orange peel inside the tin to enhance flavor and aroma. Lebkuchen cookies improve in taste when stored over several days, making them ideal for gifting.
Notes
- For a chocolate glaze, melt 90g dark chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water.
- Remove from heat and stir in another 90g of dark chocolate chips until completely melted and smooth.
- Dip the cookies into the melted chocolate coating then place on a wire rack to set before storing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 25g)
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 4.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
