Lebkuchen
Makes 10 dozen cookies
8 cups flour, pre-sifted all purpose
½ tsp. soda
1½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. nutmeg
1½ cups honey
2 cups dark brown sugar
¼ cup water
1½ cups dried orange peel
1½ cups citron
½ cup flour (for fruit)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups pecans/almonds, chopped fine
Place flour, soda and spices in a bowl. Boil honey, brown sugar and water in a copper pot for 5 minutes. Cool. Lay the dried fruit on wax paper and flour until fruit is no longer sticky. Add flour mixture, eggs, fruit, honey mixture and nuts to a mix master and blend well. I divide my ingredients in half and mix in two bowls as the mixture gets quite sticky. I recommend using a Kitchen Aid or other sturdy mixer.
Roll on lightly floured board to ¼” thickness. Cut into rectangular strips. Bake on greased baking sheets in a moderate 350° oven for 10-15 minutes, or until brown.
When cool, cookies will be quite hard.
Optional: cover with transparent icing.
Transparent Icing
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 Tbsp. boiling water
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine sugar, water and vanilla. Beat thoroughly. Place cookies top side down in the icing, remove and let cool. Icing will harden.
©Sally Bernstein, 2006