Lebkucken--Birr
Submitted by mike31
Lebkuchen German Christmas cookies blend honey, molasses, cardamom, and clove into a dense spiced dough rolled and cut into shapes. Family tradition, ages and keeps for months.
YIELD
48 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
8 minREADY
1 hrsLebkuchen is the German Christmas cookie that earned its keep through centuries of cold European winters, surviving because it actually improves with time. This family version starts on the day after Thanksgiving and gets passed around the kitchen so everyone takes a turn stirring with a wooden spoon until it stands up on its own.
Honey and a half-and-half mix of dark and light molasses are the flavor anchors. Honey adds floral notes and keeps the dough moist; dark molasses brings depth and color; light molasses softens the bitter edge that dark alone would deliver. Skip one and the balance shifts wrong.
The cardamom-and-clove combination is what reads as ‘Christmas’ to anyone who grew up with these. A quarter teaspoon of cardamom whispers; a teaspoon and a half of cloves shouts. Together they smell exactly right.
Do not boil the molasses-butter mixture. Heat just to dissolve the sugar, then pull the pan. Boiling caramelizes the honey and toughens the cookies.
Flour quantity is variable on purpose. The dough should be stiff enough that the spoon stands straight up, but not crumbly. Add the lower amount first, then more by the half cup until you get the consistency right.
Pro Tips
- Chill the dough at least overnight. Same-day Lebkuchen tastes raw and harsh. Two-day-old dough rolls better and the spices meld.
- Roll thicker than American sugar cookies, around ¼ inch (6 mm). Lebkuchen should be substantial, not delicate.
- Store with a slice of fresh bread in the container. The bread keeps the cookies soft for weeks.
- Ice with a confectioners’ sugar glaze if you want the festive bakery-window look.
Variations
- Add a half cup of finely chopped candied citron or orange peel for traditional Bavarian Lebkuchen flavor.
- Stir in ground almonds (½ cup) and replace some flour for nut Lebkuchen.
- Sub a teaspoon of cinnamon and pinch of nutmeg if cardamom is hard to source.
Ingredients
Directions
*Molasses--use about half and half, dark and light.
In a cup dissolve soda in a little warm water.
In a large saucepan, put butter, sugar, honey and molasses, where it will get hot but DO NOT boil! When sugar dissolves (just before boiling), remove from stove and place in LARGE mixing bowl and let cool a bit.
Can be warm to touch but not hot!! Add cardamon, cloves, and soda and mix.
Add egg yolks and mix well.
Then beat egg whites stiff and add them.
Mix together adding as much flour as can be stirred with spoon, to make a very stiff dough.
Let chill slight or even overnight.
(Dough will keep well for 3 days in refrigerator).
Knead with hands a bit and roll out onto floured pastry cloth.
Cut into cookie shapes.
Bake on Cookie sheets at 350 6 to 8 mins.
If using airbake pans, cook about 8 mins.
COOL BEFORE STACKING in cookie container.
**Optional; before baking sprinkle with colored crystals for decoration.
Also great with ICING and decorated--use a confectioners sugar, butter type icing.
To keep cookies soft in containers add a piece of bread in the container and keep sealed.
They will keep for months (if not eaten quick enough).
Uniced cookies freeze well.
Traditionally we would bake these the day after Thanksgiving, and all would stir the dough with wooden spoon, until the spoon stood straight up! Best if left to age a couple days before eating! (In your dreams!!) -----
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