Spice Bars
Submitted by rangerc14
German-style honey spice bars with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ground almonds, and lemon zest, finished with a rum-almond glaze. These keep for weeks in a sealed container, making them ideal holiday baking.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
15 minREADY
50 minThese German-style spice bars are the kind of old-world baking that rewards patience and fills the kitchen with the most incredible aroma.
Honey, sugar, and eggs get beaten into a ribbon, then folded with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ground almonds, and a whisper of lemon zest.
Bake the thin batter in a jelly roll pan, then glaze while warm with a smooth almond-rum icing.
Cut into bars and store them in a sealed tin. They actually improve with age, staying good for six to eight weeks unglazed.
Chef Tips
- Beat the eggs and sugar until you see a thick ribbon fall from the beater. This is what gives the bars their tender texture.
- Glaze and cut while still warm. Once they cool, the bars get firm and are harder to slice neatly.
- Skip the glaze if you want longer storage. The unglazed bars keep for weeks and the spice flavor deepens over time.
- These make excellent holiday gifts wrapped in parchment inside a decorative tin.
Ingredients
Directions
Stir together the spices, salt, flour, and baking powder.
Stir in the almonds and lemon rind.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs and sugar until a ribbon is formed when the beater is removed.
Stir in the honey and milk.
Gradually stir in the flour mixture; beat until smooth.
Spread the batter in an 11 X 17-inch jelly roll pan that is well greased and floured.
Bake at 400℉ (200℃) for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cake is done.
While the cake is still warm, turn it out onto a wire rack.
To make the almond glaze, mix the confectioners’ sugar, almond extract, rum, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
Beat until glaze is smooth and of the right consistency.
Add more water to thin if neccessary.
Spread the warm cake with the almond glaze.
Cut cake into 1 X 2½-inch bars while still warm.
Spice bars keep 6 to 8 weeks in a sealed container if not glazed.
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