I've always seen these in the stores at Christmas time but wasn't that thrilled; they were ok, but nothing amazing. It was pretty much pure whim that made me decide to try and are they ever good! They look like a lot of work, but it really isn't that bad, other than the icing, which isn;t difficult, just a pain.
INGREDIENTS
2¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
3-4 teaspoons Lebkuchengewürz (recipe)
¼ teaspoon finely ground white pepper
¼ cup almond meal
½ cup packed brown sugar
⅓ cup pure honey
5 tablespoons unsalted butter ( a little more than ¼ cup)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 large egg
For the Glaze:
2½ cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons hot water (less water will result in a thicker & whiter glaze)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, Lebkuchengewuerz, white pepper and almond meal. Set aside. I would highly recommend sifting the flour into the cups, too much flour dries the recipe out and makes it harder to work with.
Combine the brown sugar, honey, butter, and cream in a medium saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, until melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Stir in the flour mixture. Once incorporated stir in the egg until thoroughly combined. The dough will have a nice glossy sheen. It will be very sticky and that's how it should be.
Turn the mixture out onto some plastic wrap and wrap the dough tightly. Refrigerate overnight, or for up to two days.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and roll it into balls, about three quarters of an inch. I found the dough to be very tough to work with straight out of the fridge so I let it warm and soften for a few hours, until I could work it by hand easily.
Place the cookie balls on a lined cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let the cookies cool completely.
To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and water until smooth.
Dip each cookie in the glaze, letting the excess drip off, and place them on a wire rack positioned over a cookie sheet (to catch the drips) and let them sit until the glaze is fully hardened.
Store the cookies in airtight container in a cool place.