Chocolate Lebkuchen cookie recipe

They have a light, tart frosting.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces
1 cup chopped unblanched almonds
1/2 cup finely-chopped mixed candied fruit
2 eggs, well-beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2-3/4 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Thin Orange Frosting, below
Red candy shot
Green sugar

Directions

Combine sugar, honey and water in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cool. Stir in chocolate, almonds, candied fruit, eggs and orange juice. Sift in flour, spices, soda and baking powder and blend thoroughly.

Store dough in tightly-closed container at room temperature for 3 days to ripen.

Spread in greased and floured 15″ x 10″ x 1″ pan. Bake in moderate oven (325 F) 35 to 40 minutes. Cool. Frost, cut in diamonds and decorate with red shot and green sugar.

Makes about 50 cookies

Thin Lemon or Orange Frosting

Used in Europe on cookies because light and tart frostings are preferred.

To each 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar, add 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon or orange juice, stirring until of the right consistency. Tint as desired.