Baking Lebkuchen

I baked lebkuchen last night.

We love this cookie so much!  We’re slowly trying to incorporate European and American traditions into our holidays, which means I am regularly turning to Wikipedia and my library for all the help I can get.

You might be familiar with lebkuchen.  It’s a lot like gingerbread and usually looks like this:

(I think I like the taste of lebkuchen better than gingerbread.)  It’s not as sweet as gingerbread, and – most interesting of all – it doesn’t have any ginger in it.  They’re sweetened with honey and molasses.  And oh – the cookies are soft and thick.

Our dough had to sit in the fridge for three looooong days.  But it was worth it.  Last night, our kitchen smelled like the German Christmas Markets as our cookies baked.

I’m going to have to practice my German frosting techniques.  The frosting turns into a slightly stiff glaze.

I used Greg Patent’s recipe from a favorite book at our house – A Baker’s Odyssey.  It’s filled with all sorts of international recipes made for American cooks.  I gave it to my sister for her bridal shower, then a few months later, she gave me a copy for Christmas.  It’s that kind of book.

Thanks to the folks at Google Books, you can see the entire recipe right here.

These soft cookies definitely pass the test.  They’ll be a Christmas staple.

Are you a lebkuchen or gingerbread lover?

(first image compliments of Flickr)