Decorated Glazed Lebkuchen Gingerbread Cookies (Lebkuchen) - German Christmas Cookies
Honey-sweet, richly spiced ginger Lebkuchen are often coated with chocolate or sugar glaze and decorated with almonds and candied fruits. They are wonderfully fragrant and flavorful and will be enjoyed by the whole family as a special Christmas treat.
Ingredients
- 2-1/4 cups sugar 450g
- 6 eggs
- 1 package vanilla sugar
- 1-2/3 cups chopped hazelnuts 240g
- 2 cups finely ground hazelnuts 240g
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts 50g
- 3.5 oz candied lemon peel finely sliced, 100g
- 3.5 oz candied orange peel finely sliced, 100g
- 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice Lebkuchengewürz
- grated zest of 1 organic lemon and 1 organic orange
- 2 packets large round baking wafers
For sugar glaze:
- 1-1/4 cups confectioner's sugar 130g
- 3 tablespoons water
For chocolate glaze:
- 1 bar dark chocolate 200g
For decoration:
- almonds and candied citrus peel
Instructions
- Beat sugar, eggs and vanilla sugar until smooth. Add the nuts, candied lemon, orange peel and spice and combine well. Leave to rest in a cool place for 24 hours. Form golf ball-size dough balls. Place each of the dough balls on a baking wafer and spread them out evenly. Line the baking tray with parchment paper and place the Lebkuchen onto it.
- Preheat oven and bake the Lebkuchen at 400°F (200°C ) for 15 minutes. Remove and leave to cool on a grid.
- Mix confectioner's sugar with water and stir to a smooth paste. Glaze one third of the Lebkuchen. Melt the chocolate and glaze the second third of the Lebkuchen. Leave the rest plain.
- Decorate the gingerbread with almonds and candied peel.