Lebkuchen are traditional German Christmas cookies full of festive spices, candied mixed fruit, and nuts. They are finished with a simple sweet lemon glaze. You can coat them with melted chocolate if you prefer.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 36
Ingredients
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup dark molasses
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup candied mixed fruit peel, finely chopped
Steps
- Gather all ingredients.
- Beat brown sugar, honey, and egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth; stir in molasses.
- Combine flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and baking soda in a separate bowl; stir into the molasses mixture to form a sticky dough. Stir in almonds and candied fruit peel. Cover dough and chill overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease or line cookie sheets. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
- Cut into 2×3-inch rectangles. Place cookies 1 ½ inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- While the cookies are baking, make the glaze: Stir egg white, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Mix in confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
- Brush glaze over cookies while they are still warm.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool and set completely before storing in a single layer in airtight containers.
