Iced Lebkuchen Cookies
Yield: About 3 dozen cookies
Cook Time: 10-13 minutes
Tips: Cookies may be iced after slightly or completely cooling. Wait until icing has completely dried and hardened before storing.
Suggestion: These cookies are great anytime, and are perfect around the Christmas holiday because of the traditional Christmas seasonings of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.
Ingredients
- Cookies
- 3/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- Icing
- 1 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
- 3-4 teaspoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Cookies
Place the honey, water and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from the heat, stir in the butter and allow to cool slightly.
Transfer honey and sugar mixture to an electric mixer bowl. Add the salt, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and baking soda and mix until well-blended. Add eggs and mix again until well-blended, stopping once to scrape sides and bottom of bowl to incorporate all ingredients. Transfer cookie dough to a bowl, then cover and store in the refrigerator until chilled and firm (1 hour to overnight).
Once cookie dough is chilled and firm, preheat oven to 325 °F. Grease (using butter or nonstick spray) two baking sheets (alternatively, line baking sheets with parchment paper).
Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a 1/4-inch thickness. (Note: If cookie dough is too difficult to remove from the bowl, simply allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes).
Once dough is rolled out to a 1/4-inch thicknes, cut out cookies with a 2 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter. Transfer cookie rounds to prepared baking sheets and place in oven. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or just until done and just as the cookie edges are on the verge of turning brown (try not to allow the cookies to turn brown, because this will make them too tough).
While cookies are baking, in a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, 3 teaspoons of the milk and the vanilla extract until the icing has a smooth texture. Add additional milk to reach desired spreading consistency, if necessary. Once cookies have slightly or completely cooled, spread the top of each cookie with the icing. Allow icing to become firm and dry before storing (time may vary, and may take 1 or more hours). Store in an air-tight container.
Transfer honey and sugar mixture to an electric mixer bowl. Add the salt, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and baking soda and mix until well-blended. Add eggs and mix again until well-blended, stopping once to scrape sides and bottom of bowl to incorporate all ingredients. Transfer cookie dough to a bowl, then cover and store in the refrigerator until chilled and firm (1 hour to overnight).
Once cookie dough is chilled and firm, preheat oven to 325 °F. Grease (using butter or nonstick spray) two baking sheets (alternatively, line baking sheets with parchment paper).
Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a 1/4-inch thickness. (Note: If cookie dough is too difficult to remove from the bowl, simply allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes).
Once dough is rolled out to a 1/4-inch thicknes, cut out cookies with a 2 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter. Transfer cookie rounds to prepared baking sheets and place in oven. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or just until done and just as the cookie edges are on the verge of turning brown (try not to allow the cookies to turn brown, because this will make them too tough).
Icing
While cookies are baking, in a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, 3 teaspoons of the milk and the vanilla extract until the icing has a smooth texture. Add additional milk to reach desired spreading consistency, if necessary. Once cookies have slightly or completely cooled, spread the top of each cookie with the icing. Allow icing to become firm and dry before storing (time may vary, and may take 1 or more hours). Store in an air-tight container.