These soft gingerbread cookies made using German Lebkuchen spice mix are well spiced and you can just gobble them up! Since the German lebkuchengewürz spice mix has 9 spices they have a different spice flavor than typical American gingerbread, with more of a cinnamon and clove flavor than ginger. These aren't authentic German Elisen Lebkuchen, but they are much easier to make and easy to devour!
The recipe for the Lebkuchen Spice Mix
The recipe for a full batch is here, and pictures of the process are below:
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (500 g)
1 tsp. baking soda (4 g)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar (125 g)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. Lebkuchen Spice Mix (~13 g)
10 Tbsp. softened butter
6 Tbsp. molasses (140 g)
3 Tbsp. honey (60 g)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg (~55 g)
2 Tbsp. milk (~33 g)
Powdered sugar for decorating
Note: traditionally sugar beet syrup is used for this recipe but I substitute with a mix of molasses and honey.
Directions:
Mix together the flour, baking soda, sugar, salt, and lebkuchen spice.
Add the butter in small pieces and use a cutter or your hands to work the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly.
In a separate bowl mix together the molasses, honey, vanilla, egg, and milk.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix well with a spatula or a mixer until well combined.
Shape into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 1-24 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Once it's chilled, take out half the dough, roll out into ~3 mm thick on a floured surface, moving it around so it doesn't stick.
Cut out cookies and place on a greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Optional: freeze the cookies on the tray for 5 minutes before baking.
Bake 8-9 minutes for 2-3 inch wide cookies. Let cool a few minutes before removing to cool completely.
To make a glaze/icing, mix together the powdered sugar with milk or water until your desired thickness and then decorate the cooled cookies.
Store at room temperature in a sealed container up to 5 days.
Makes about 50 cookies, feel free to make a half batch instead!
Here is how I made a half batch:
The ingredients I used (plus powdered sugar for icing!)
Before whisking together the dry ingredients.
After whisking together the dry ingredients.
Then add the butter.
After working in the butter.
After whisking the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
Then add the wet to the dry.
And mix it all together well! That's your dough!
Wrap it up, the flatter it is the better, and then chill it.
When ready to bake, take the cold dough onto a floured surface.
Roll it out.
And cut out cookies!
Before baking.
After baking! They really don't spread much! So you can put more on a pan than I did.
The glaze for decorating.
Just go crazy with your decorating! Or whatever you'd like!
Nice trees :)
Snowflakes!
Abstract gingerbread man :D
Just decorate to your heart's content :D