Description
Delightfully spiced traditional German Lebkuchen cookies with a soft, slightly sticky dough infused with warm spices and citrus zest. These festive cookies are glazed with a thin lemon-vanilla icing and can be decorated with sprinkles, almonds, or dipped in rich dark chocolate for extra indulgence. Perfect for holiday gifting and celebration.
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 (100g) 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 soft brown sugar in a mixing bowl and heat in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Add butter and zest: Stir in the cubed unsalted butter and orange zest until the butter melts completely into the mixture.
- Add leavening and spices: Mix in baking powder, baking soda, fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground ginger, ground cloves, grated nutmeg, white pepper (if using), lemon zest, and the beaten egg until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Incorporate the all-purpose flour and ground almonds. Mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. If the dough feels too dry, add the lemon juice to loosen it slightly.
- Rest the dough: Lightly oil a spatula or your hands with vegetable oil, gather the dough into a ball, cover the mixing bowl with a towel, and let it rest for at least 1 hour or up to overnight at room temperature.
- Bake the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Divide the dough into thirds and roll each portion on a silicone baking mat to about 2 cm thickness (just under an inch). Cut into shapes using round, star, or heart cookie cutters. Place cookies spaced out on the silicone mat, then bake for 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough, gathering scraps to roll out again.
- Prepare the glaze: While the cookies bake, mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and rum (if using) in a bowl until you achieve a thin, runny glaze.
- Glaze the cookies: Transfer warm cookies to a wire rack and brush the glaze over them while still slightly warm. Allow the glaze to dry and apply a second layer if desired. Decorate with sanding sugar, sprinkles, or flaked almonds as preferred.
- Store the cookies: Layer the cooled cookies in a cake tin, separated with parchment paper and add strips of orange peel. Lebkuchen deepen in flavor as they age, making them an excellent festive gift.
Notes
- To create a chocolate glaze, melt ½ cup (90 g) dark chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl base does not touch the water. Once nearly melted, remove from heat and add another ½ cup (90 g) chocolate chips, stirring gently until fully melted. Dip cooled cookies into the chocolate and set on a wire rack to dry before storing.
- Resting the dough overnight enhances flavor and texture.
- Use a silicone baking mat for easy rolling and transferring of dough.
- If not using the chocolate glaze, the lemon-based glaze offers a bright contrast to the warm spices.
- Store cookies in an airtight container with orange peel strips to maintain freshness and enhance aroma.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 25g)
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
