Lebkuchen

Time for another Christmas cookie recipe. This one also comes from the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook (1950 edition) but I changed a number of things. Obviously, I omitted the nuts. I also went ahead and added currants and citron to the dough which turned out to be a good call. For the decorations (since I couldn't use almonds) I made use of what I had-candied cherries, dates and some over-sized sultanas cut in half.

The glaze cooked up a bit thick so the first batch has a heavier glaze than the second which I thinned down. I cut these a bit larger as I was working by hand with a knife rather than a cutter. The cookies bake up pretty hard, and like most old-fashioned cookies that do not have butter or shortening, they need a good week in a cookie jar or closed tin to "mellow." This is done by adding a piece of sliced apple or orange and changing it once a day. I know it sounds strange, but it really works wonders with things like gingerbread. Some cookies are worth waiting for. I split one with Danny and while it was hard, it was still delicious-I can't wait to taste them next week.

You Will Need:

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses (I used mild)
3/4 cup brown sugar (I used dark)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated rind
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/3 cup finely diced candied citron
1/3 cup dried currants


In a saucepot, mix together the honey and molasses until they come to a boil. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Stir in the brown sugar. egg. lemon juice, and rind. Sift together the dry ingredients and mix that in. Stir in the citron and currants. Mix well and wrap tightly in plastic wrap to chill overnight.

The dough will be very soft, so work with small amounts and keep the rest chilled as you work

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and lightly grease pans. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured board and cut into rectangles or oblongs. Decorate with fruit and nuts as desired. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookies no longer show an indentation when lightly pressed. Glaze immediately out of the oven (recipe follows. Transfer to racks to cool, and then let mellow in a jar or tin for a week.

Glaze:

boil 1 cup sugar with 1/2 cup water and bring to 230 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar. Brush on hot cookies. If it thickens up between batches, add a bit of water and reheat until liquid.