This old German recipe comes to us from Janette Ansorge, aka the cattle wrangler, second born, and homesteader of the Jennings Family Farm. We think she was inspired by the German Christmas Honey Cake cookies she tasted during her stint in Deutschland a few years ago. However, for this particular recipe, she followed the guidance of Betty Crocker in Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book. Firefly Fields Raw Honey is front and center on this old timey favorite. Yes, it’s an ‘old country’ Christmas treasure, and it’s January, but hey! COOKIES are good anytime of the year. So on this wintry day, we share with you this deliciously spiced, simple, and chewy cookie that will warm and delight your soul!

Ingredients:

Cookie Dough

• ½ cup raw honey
• ½ cup molasses
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/3 cup cut-up citron
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts

Glazing Icing

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

COOKIE DOUGH

Mix together and bring to a boil honey, molasses, and brown sugar. Cool thoroughly.

Stir in egg, lemon juice, and lemon rind.

 

Stir in fresh lemon rind.

Sift together and stir in flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg.

Finally, mix in citron and nuts.

Chill dough overnight. Roll small amount at a time, keeping the rest chilled. Roll out ¼’’ thick and cut into oblongs 1 ½ x 2 ½‘’. Place one inch apart on greased baking sheet. Bake until when touched lightly no imprint remains. While cookies bake, make Glazing Icing (recipe below). Glaze it over the cookies the minute they are out of oven. Then quickly remove from baking sheet. Cool and store to mellow. Makes about 6 dozen 2 x 3″ cookies.

Roll out chilled cookie dough

Bake until nice even brown

GLAZING ICING

Boil together sugar and water until first indication of a thread appears (230 degrees F). Remove from heat. Stir in ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar and brush hot icing thinly over cookies. When icing gets sugary, reheat slightly, adding a little water until clear again. Lecker!

LEBKUCHEN