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Half of a lebkuchen cookie on top of other whole cookies.
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4.50 from 2 votes

Lebkuchen Cookies

Lebkuchen Cookies, some delicious German Christmas cookies that are very similar taste-wise to gingerbread. Beautifully spiced, with a lovely thin icing on top, these lebkuchen cookies are very popular in Europe during the festive season. A super easy recipe that is pretty much failproof.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Chilling Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Romanian
Servings: 15 cookies
Calories: 229kcal
Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

  • 300 g plain flour
  • 100 g butter
  • 100 g sugar
  • 5 tablespoon honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon bicarb of soda
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the icing

  • 200 g icing sugar
  • 2 tablespoon boiling water
Metric - US Customary

Instructions

  • To make the cookies, melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly.
  • Sift the flour, add the bicarb of soda, spices, honey, lemon juice, melted butter and eggs beaten lightly.
  • Knead gently to get a dough that does not stick to the hands - add more flour if necessary.
  • Cover the dough with clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit).
  • Make balls out of the dough the size of a walnut, and arrange them on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper - leave enough room between cookies as they double their volume.
  • Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch.
  • Leave to cool completely.
  • To make the icing, sift the icing sugar, add the boiling water and mix well to get a lump-free icing.
  • When the cookies have cooled, drizzle the icing over, and leave to dry completely.

Video

Notes

  • I find that the texture of the dough depends greatly on the flour you use - if the dough seems too soft and still very sticky, add more flour as necessary to get an elastic dough that does not stick to the hands.
  • Do not add too much flour at once, as that will change the texture of the cookies, and they will turn out rock hard. It is best to add a tablespoon of flour at a time until you get the desired texture.
  • The dough will harden further in the fridge, so it's best to have it slightly on the softer side to begin with, rather than too dry and lumpy.

Nutrition

Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 94mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 198IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg