Fa-la-lebkuchen. The traditional German cookie gets a reinterpretation from chef Tim Wiechmann in this holiday recipe. He toasts and mills his own spice blend (use whole spices if you have them) for warm, wintry flavors like cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Try your hand at the steps below and add this cookie to your December roster.
Lebkuchen
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 1/4 teaspoons coriander
- 2 teaspoons cloves
- 2 teaspoons anise
- 2 3/4 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 5 1/2 teaspoons ginger, ground
- 14 ounces honey
- 1 1/2 sticks butter
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups ground walnuts (or other nuts)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg white
- 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
Directions
- In a pan over low heat, lightly toast all the spices except the ginger. Mill together and combine with the ground ginger.
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. In a small saucepan, melt together the honey and butter.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour and ground walnut. Add in the baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest and 3 tablespoons spice mix until well combined.
- Add the honey and butter and mix to form a dough. Scoop the dough and press into discs on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and confectioner’s sugar. Dip the cooled cookies in the glaze.