Christmas Spice Cookies (Lebkuchen)
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 28, 2007
Time
1¾ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Makes 30 cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
6 ounces (170 grams) unblanched hazelnuts, toasted and cooled (about 1 ¼ cups)6 ounces (170 grams) unblanched whole almonds, toasted and cooled (about 1 cup)¾ cup granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground cardamom ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 3 tablespoons grated zest from 3 oranges2 tablespoons grated zest from 2 lemons1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 ½ ounces/213 grams)2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa ½ teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened¾ cup light brown sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)4 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extractGlaze
¼ cup whole milk 1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar (7 ounces/198 grams)Before You Begin
If using a standing mixer in step 2, use the paddle attachment. The cookie dough will be very sticky, and the final cookie will have a soft, chewy, and slightly cakey texture. Testing the cookies for doneness can be a bit tricky; we found it easiest to check the edges of the cookies for firmness (they should be set), and the tops for cracking (there should be lots of tiny cracks). This recipe was published in our cookbook The Best International Recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust two oven racks to the upper and lower-middle positions, and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Process the toasted nuts, granulated sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg in a food processor to a fine meal, 30 to 60 seconds, stopping and scraping the sides as needed. Add the orange and lemon zest, and continue to process until combined, about 15 seconds; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, and salt together; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together using an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla, and continue to mix until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and continue to mix until combined, about 1 minute. Add the ground nut mixture and continue to mix until evenly combined (the mixer bowl will be very full).
- Using two greased soupspoons (or a greased 1 3/4-inch spring-loaded ice cream scoop), portion 2-tablespoon-sized mounds of dough, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart, onto the baking sheets (each sheet should hold about 10 cookies and you should have enough dough left for another sheet of cookies).
- Bake the cookies until the edges are firm and the tops are puffed with tiny cracks, 13 to 18 minutes, rotating and switching the sheets halfway through the baking time. Set the cookies aside to cool on the baking sheets until set, about 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Reline one of the baking sheets with parchment paper, portion out the remaining dough into cookies, and bake as directed.
- When the cookies are cool, whisk the confectioners' sugar and milk together in a medium bowl until smooth and incorporated. (If the glaze begins to dry out as it sits, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to loosen.) Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of the glaze over the tops of the cookies, and let sit until the glaze has set, about 10 minutes.
for the cookies
for the glaze
Time
1¾ hours, plus 20 minutes coolingYield
Makes 30 cookiesIngredients
Cookies
6 ounces (170 grams) unblanched hazelnuts, toasted and cooled (about 1 ¼ cups)
6 ounces (170 grams) unblanched whole almonds, toasted and cooled (about 1 cup)
¾ cup granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons grated zest from 3 oranges
2 tablespoons grated zest from 2 lemons
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 ½ ounces/213 grams)
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup light brown sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
¼ cup whole milk
1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar (7 ounces/198 grams)
Ingredients
Cookies
6 ounces (170 grams) unblanched hazelnuts, toasted and cooled (about 1 ¼ cups)
6 ounces (170 grams) unblanched whole almonds, toasted and cooled (about 1 cup)
¾ cup granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons grated zest from 3 oranges
2 tablespoons grated zest from 2 lemons
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 ½ ounces/213 grams)
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup light brown sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
¼ cup whole milk
1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar (7 ounces/198 grams)
Ingredients
Cookies
6 ounces (170 grams) unblanched hazelnuts, toasted and cooled (about 1 ¼ cups)
6 ounces (170 grams) unblanched whole almonds, toasted and cooled (about 1 cup)
¾ cup granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons grated zest from 3 oranges
2 tablespoons grated zest from 2 lemons
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 ½ ounces/213 grams)
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup light brown sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
¼ cup whole milk
1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar (7 ounces/198 grams)
Before You Begin
If using a standing mixer in step 2, use the paddle attachment. The cookie dough will be very sticky, and the final cookie will have a soft, chewy, and slightly cakey texture. Testing the cookies for doneness can be a bit tricky; we found it easiest to check the edges of the cookies for firmness (they should be set), and the tops for cracking (there should be lots of tiny cracks). This recipe was published in our cookbook The Best International Recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust two oven racks to the upper and lower-middle positions, and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Process the toasted nuts, granulated sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg in a food processor to a fine meal, 30 to 60 seconds, stopping and scraping the sides as needed. Add the orange and lemon zest, and continue to process until combined, about 15 seconds; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, and salt together; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together using an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla, and continue to mix until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and continue to mix until combined, about 1 minute. Add the ground nut mixture and continue to mix until evenly combined (the mixer bowl will be very full).
- Using two greased soupspoons (or a greased 1 3/4-inch spring-loaded ice cream scoop), portion 2-tablespoon-sized mounds of dough, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart, onto the baking sheets (each sheet should hold about 10 cookies and you should have enough dough left for another sheet of cookies).
- Bake the cookies until the edges are firm and the tops are puffed with tiny cracks, 13 to 18 minutes, rotating and switching the sheets halfway through the baking time. Set the cookies aside to cool on the baking sheets until set, about 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Reline one of the baking sheets with parchment paper, portion out the remaining dough into cookies, and bake as directed.
- When the cookies are cool, whisk the confectioners' sugar and milk together in a medium bowl until smooth and incorporated. (If the glaze begins to dry out as it sits, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to loosen.) Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of the glaze over the tops of the cookies, and let sit until the glaze has set, about 10 minutes.
for the cookies
for the glaze
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