German Lebkuchen
adapted from Viking River Cruises
Cookie dough
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg
1/3 cup candied citron, diced (I omitted the citron.)
1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped
Icing
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk or water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Garnish
Sliced almonds
Candied citron or ginger
In a medium saucepan, bring the honey and molasses to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in the brown sugar, egg, lemon juice and zest. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and spices. Stir the molasses mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the citron and hazelnuts. Cover and chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a floured, hard surface roll out a small amount of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thick. If the dough is sticky, use more flour. Cut the cookies into rounds or stars and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
While the cookies are baking make the icing by heating the granulated sugar and liquids in a saucepan, but do not bring it to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the confectioner's sugar. If the icing crystallizes, reheat and add some more milk or water.
Transfer the cookies to a rack and while still hot, brush them with the icing. Decorate the cookies with the sliced almonds or candied citron or ginger.
Let the cookies cool completely. Store them in a sealed container.