Gingerbread Cutouts (Lebkuchen)

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30 minutes 4 dozen 4-inch cookies Print RecipeEmail Recipe

Ingredients

1 1⁄2cupunsalted butter (softened)
1⁄2cuplight brown sugar (packed)
2tablespoonground ginger
2teaspoonground cinnamon
2teaspoonlemon peel (grated)
1teaspoonorange peel (grated)
1 1⁄2cuplight molasses
2⁄3cuphoney
3 eggs (beaten)
6 1⁄2cupall-purpose flour
2teaspoonbaking soda
1⁄2teaspoonsalt
  whole blanched almonds
  red and green candied cherries (cut in half)
1 egg white (lightly beaten)
  cookie glaze

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. Brush generously over warm cookies. Cool cookies completely.

Notes

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

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