Gingerbread Cutouts (Lebkuchen)

Cuisine, December 1979

30 minutes — 4 dozen 4-inch cookies

Ingredients

1 1⁄2	cup	unsalted butter (softened)
1⁄2	cup	light brown sugar (packed)
2	tablespoon	ground ginger
2	teaspoon	ground cinnamon
2	teaspoon	lemon peel (grated)
1	teaspoon	orange peel (grated)
1 1⁄2	cup	light molasses
2⁄3	cup	honey
3		eggs (beaten)
6 1⁄2	cup	all-purpose flour
2	teaspoon	baking soda
1⁄2	teaspoon	salt
		whole blanched almonds
		red and green candied cherries (cut in half)
1		egg white (lightly beaten)
		cookie glaze [1]

Instructions

Cream butter and sugar in large mixer bowl; beat in ginger, cinnamon and lemon and orange peels. Heat molasses and honey in small saucepan to boiling. Cool 10 minutes. Stir into butter mixture; beat in eggs. Sift 4 cups of the flour, the baking soda and salt together. Stir into batter. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as needed to form a soft dough (use only as much as necessary). Shape dough into ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350°. Roll dough on lightly floured surface 1/2 inch thick. Cut out cookies with 4-inch cutters of desired shapes. Transfer to greased baking sheets. Press almonds and cherries lightly into dough. Brush tops of cookies with egg white. Bake until centers are firm to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks 10 minutes.

While cookies are baking, make cookie glaze [2]. Brush generously over warm cookies. Cool cookies completely.

Notes

Preparation time does not include refrigeration time or baking time for all cookies.