Lebkuchen Bars
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 16, 2019
Time
1½ hours, plus 2 hours cooling and 30 minutes drying
Yield
Makes 24 bars
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening 3 cups (15 ounces/425 grams) all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cardamom ¾ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) granulated sugar 1 cup molasses 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice1 ½ cups (6 ounces/170 grams) confectioners' sugar 3 tablespoons whole milk
Before You Begin
To test for doneness, make sure that the edges of the bars are set and the top is covered with many tiny cracks.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
- Microwave butter and shortening in bowl until melted, about 2 minutes; let cool slightly. Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda, cardamom, ginger, and salt together in second bowl. Whisk granulated sugar, molasses, eggs, and lemon zest together in large bowl, then whisk in cooled butter mixture until combined. Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread into even layer. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let bars cool in pan on wire rack for 2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan. Cut into 24 pieces and transfer to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.
- Whisk confectioners' sugar, milk, and lemon juice in bowl until smooth. Spread glaze evenly over bars. Let glaze dry for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Time
1½ hours, plus 2 hours cooling and 30 minutes dryingYield
Makes 24 barsIngredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 cups (15 ounces/425 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup molasses
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
1 ½ cups (6 ounces/170 grams) confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 cups (15 ounces/425 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup molasses
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
1 ½ cups (6 ounces/170 grams) confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 cups (15 ounces/425 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup molasses
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
1 ½ cups (6 ounces/170 grams) confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted to take the flavor profile of traditional Lebkuchen and turn the cookie into a thick, soft bar, one that would be warmly spiced and defined by the hearty flavor and chew that molasses provides; in other words, we wanted gingerbread squared. A combination of butter and shortening gave us the right balance of rich flavor (from the butter) and cakey chew (from the shortening). Generous spice, most notably from a whopping tablespoon of cinnamon, gave the dough a serious kick while some lemon zest served to brighten the warm spice flavor. Many versions of Lebkuchen are iced, and we thought the flat bar shape of these cookies was the perfect format for showcasing a light glaze. Adding some lemon juice to the glaze gave it a pleasant tang.
Before You Begin
To test for doneness, make sure that the edges of the bars are set and the top is covered with many tiny cracks.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
- Microwave butter and shortening in bowl until melted, about 2 minutes; let cool slightly. Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda, cardamom, ginger, and salt together in second bowl. Whisk granulated sugar, molasses, eggs, and lemon zest together in large bowl, then whisk in cooled butter mixture until combined. Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread into even layer. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let bars cool in pan on wire rack for 2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan. Cut into 24 pieces and transfer to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.
- Whisk confectioners' sugar, milk, and lemon juice in bowl until smooth. Spread glaze evenly over bars. Let glaze dry for at least 30 minutes before serving.
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