Leckerli Cookies

Leckerli Cookies
 
 1/2 cup Honey
 1/3 cup Sugar
 2 1/2 cups Unsifted flour*
 4 teaspoons Baking powder
 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
 1 pinch Nutmeg
 1 pinch Cloves
 2/3 cup Sliced almonds
 3 tablespoons Candied orange peel, finely
 3 tablespoons Candied lemon peel, finely
 1 Egg
 2 tablespoons Kirsch OR orange juice
 Milk
 Glaze (recipe below)
 Candied red cherries,
 Angelica or candied citron

Instructions:

Spices and candied fruit are in these chewy cookie squares. *When unsifted flour is called for, fluff up the flour in the sack or container with a fork before measuring. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine honey and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring constantly, until honey thinks and sugar dissolves; cool slightly. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into a large bowl. Add almonds, candied orange and lemon peels; mix to coat. Add cooled honey mixture, egg and kirsch to flour mixture; stir with wooden spoon until blended. Knead dough together with palm of hand until mixture cleans side of bowl; shape into ball; flatten slightly. Roll dough between two sheets of wax paper to a 13x9 inch rectangle, slightly less than 1/4-inch thick, keeping edges as even as possible. Remove top piece of wax paper; flip dough onto lightly greased cookie sheet; remove second piece of wax paper. Brush top lightly with milk. Bake in 375ºF. oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookie sheet to wire tack. Trim edges of cookie dough; cut into 2-inch squares. Make Glaze. Brush quickly over warm Leckerli. (Do not make syrup until Leckerli are out of the oven or syrup will harden) Decorate with candied red cherry halves and angelica leaves. Glaze will harden and turn white.

Glaze: Combine 1/2 cu granulated sugar and 3 Tablespoons water in saucepan. Cook about 5 minutes or until it registers 235ºF. on candy thermometer. Brush glaze on cookies while both are still warm. From Geminis MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini