Name: Honey Cakes (Lebkuchen)
Yield: About 30 cookies, depending on the size of the cutter
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Sliced blanched almonds; 1½ teaspoons baking powder; 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off); 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; ½ cup light corn syrup; ¾ cup honey; ½ cup molasses; ½ cup sugar; ⅓ cup water; 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground cloves; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ½ teaspoon ground ginger; Candied cherries; 1 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation info

About
30
cookies, depending on the size of the cutter

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

A Baker's Tour

By Nick Malgieri

Published 2005

About

There are probably as many types of lebkuchen as there are bakers in Switzerland and Germany. Subtle variations in spices and other ingredients can change the flavor and texture, but the result is always recognizable as lebkuchen.

The descendent of medieval honey cakes, lebkuchen were once an important branch of baking all their own. While they are still enjoyed in German-speaking countries today, so many other baked goods are available now that they are nowhere near as prevalent.</