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German Lebkuchen Cookies

German Lebkuchen cookies are honey-sweetened, warmly spiced cookies made with almond flour and candied orange peel. Chill the dough overnight, bake until the tops look set and the edges are lightly browned, then finish with a smooth sugar glaze.
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Prep Time 55 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Chilling time (at least) 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 9 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: German
Calories: 160
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cookies
  • 0.5 cup honey
  • 0.5 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs large
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cups almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 0.5 cup candied orange peel finely chopped
For the glaze
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water

Equipment

  • 1 small saucepan
  • 1 18x13-inch baking sheet

Method
 

Make the dough
  1. Combine the honey, brown sugar, and butter in a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the sugar dissolves; do not let the mixture boil.
  2. Let the honey mixture cool until just warm to the touch, about 20 minutes, then whisk in the eggs.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt.
  4. Stir the honey mixture and candied orange peel into the dry ingredients until evenly combined.
  5. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
Bake the cookies
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line an 18x13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Scoop the chilled dough into 1 1/2-tablespoon portions and arrange them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
  3. Gently flatten each mound to about 1/2 inch thick.
  4. Bake one batch at a time for 12–14 minutes, until the tops look set and the edges are lightly browned.
  5. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
  6. Let the sheet cool before baking the remaining dough.
Glaze the cookies
  1. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and water in a small bowl until smooth.
  2. Brush the glaze over the cooled cookies and let it set for about 30 minutes.

Notes

For evenly baked cookies, let the baking sheet cool before reusing it. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days; cookies can be frozen. For a gluten-free variation, replace the all-purpose flour with a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend.