Lebkuchen (Chocolate-Glazed Almond Spice Cookies)

Name: Lebkuchen (Chocolate-Glazed Almond Spice Cookies)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes 8-10 COOKIES
Ingredients: 1 1 ⁄ 2 cups sugar; 1 tbsp. vanilla extract; 3 eggs; 10 oz. mixed candied citrus peel, finely chopped; 8 oz. finely ground almonds; 1 tbsp. milk; 1 ⁄ 2 cup flour; 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. ground cloves; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. ground cardamom; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. kosher salt; 14 (3 1/2") oblaten wafers (available at Bavaria Sausage Inc.); 2 tbsp. light corn syrup; 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Serves
makes 8-10 COOKIES

TODD COLEMAN

The recipe for these Christmas cookies come from the bakery Rischart in Munich. This recipe first appeared in our December 2012 issue along with Todd Coleman's story Bavarian Dream.

Ingredients

1 ¹⁄₂ cups sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
10 oz. mixed candied citrus peel, finely chopped
8 oz. finely ground almonds
1 tbsp. milk
¹⁄₂ cup flour
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
¹⁄₂ tsp. ground cloves
¹⁄₂ tsp. ground cardamom
¹⁄₂ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt
14 (3 1/2") oblaten wafers (available at Bavaria Sausage Inc.)
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

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Instructions

Step 1

Whisk together 1 cup sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a bowl; using a hand mixer, beat mixture until thickened. Stir in candied peel, almonds, milk, flour, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt. Place a heaping 1⁄4 cup of batter on an oblaten wafer; spread batter to edges, leaving it mounded in center. Repeat with remaining wafers; transfer to parchment paper—lined baking sheets, spaced 1" apart. Let sit until slightly dried, about 1 hour.

Step 2

Heat oven to 275°. Bake lebkuchen until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining sugar, corn syrup, and 1⁄4 cup water in a 1-qt. saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over chocolate; let sit 1 minute. Stir until glaze is shiny. Brush lebkuchen with glaze; let cool to set glaze.

Whisk together 1 cup sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a bowl; using a hand mixer, beat mixture until thickened. Stir in candied peel, almonds, milk, flour, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt. Place a heaping 1⁄4 cup of batter on an oblaten wafer; spread batter to edges, leaving it mounded in center. Repeat with remaining wafers; transfer to parchment paper—lined baking sheets, spaced 1" apart. Let sit until slightly dried, about 1 hour.
Heat oven to 275°. Bake lebkuchen until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining sugar, corn syrup, and 1⁄4 cup water in a 1-qt. saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over chocolate; let sit 1 minute. Stir until glaze is shiny. Brush lebkuchen with glaze; let cool to set glaze.

NOTE: This recipe has been modified from the version that ran in the print edition of SAVEUR. We have decreased the quantity of milk to 1 tbs., and increased the quantity of flour to ½ cup. We've also adjusted the yield from 1 dozen down to 8-10 cookies.