Lebkuchen

Total Time: 72 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 72 hrs Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups honey
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 6 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon clove
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 3 cups candied fruit (as in fruit cake)
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe

• 1 mix honey, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup water in medium saucepan and bring to boil. simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat. add 1/2 cup butter to the sugar mixture (to melt) and cool this mixture approx 30 minutes.
• 2 while the sugar mixture cools, mix the flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, nuts, and fruit in a large mixer bowl.
• 3 add the cooled sugar/butter mixture to the flour mixture along with the 2 slightly beaten eggs. and mix thoroughly. i use my kitchen aid mixer with the dough attachment. the dough will be thick, and sticky.
• 4 place the dough in a covered plastic or glass container and let the dough "ripen" for a few days in the refrigerator.
• 5 on baking day: roll the dough on a slightly floured board to 1/4 inch thickness. cut the rolled dough into 1 x 3 inch strips and place on a greased baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes. cool on wire rack, and cover with transparent glaze. lebkuchen should ripen in cake box or plastic container at lease one day before serving.
• 6 for the transparent glaze, mix the sugar, water, vanilla together and spread thinly on the cookies.