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chocolate dipped lebkuchen on a cutting board with greenery and Christmas lights in the background

Lebkuchen (Soft Gingerbread) Cookies

This is a chocolate dipped, soft and chewy gingerbread cookie, made with honey, fruit and nuts. This recipe makes 4-5 dozen cookies.

Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword gingerbread, lebkuchen
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting time 1 day
Servings 48 cookies
Author Naomi

Ingredients

  • 3-1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 cup molasses (I like table molasses)
  • 1/2 cup almonds chopped or slivered
  • 1/2 cup candied mixed fruit and peel
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp lemon zest

Glaze

  • 1 large egg white beaten till frothy
  • 1-1/2 cups icing sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 pinch salt

Chocolate Base

  • 4 cups dark chocolate (I use chocolate wafers or candy melts)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven 375 degrees F.

  2. In a large food processor, combine all of the dough ingredients. Process the mixture on the "Dough" setting until the mixture is well combined and the nuts and fruit are ground into small pieces. Scrape down the sides and then pulse a few more times to make sure all of the flour is incorporated.

  3. Scrape the sticky, soft dough into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

  4. Scrape 1/2 of the dough out of the bowl onto a well floured work surface. Dust with flour, and roll into a long rope, about 1-inch thick (or a little smaller). Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-inch chunks.

  5. Shape each of the pieces into a small round, about the size of a walnut (or a little smaller if you prefer). Set the cookies on parchment lined sheets with a good amount of room between them, to allow the cookies to spread.

  6. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until puffy the tops are slightly crackled looking.

  7. While the cookies are baking, make the glaze by whisking all of the glaze ingredients together until smooth.

  8. Brush the hot cookies with lemon glaze.

    Tip: Using a pastry brush, gently dot 3-5 of the hot cookies at a time with lemon glaze. Once the glaze has softened with the heat, brush it gently over the surface of the cookies until they are covered.

  9. Allow the glaze to set, about 20 minutes.

  10. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave, for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval.

  11. Dip the base of each cookie in the chocolate, and set them down on a parchment lined cookie sheet to set.

  12. Store your lebkuchen in sealed containers.

Recipe Notes

These cookies will last well for a long time at room temperature, and they also freeze very well.