Lebkuchen

(Life cookies)

Combine & beat together until fluffy:
¼ cup sugar
½ cup margarine
2 eggs
½ cup honey
1 cup corn syrup (I use Rogers Golden)
¾ cup cream

Add:
2 cups flour mixed with:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon ground anise
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir well and add more flour as needed (about 2 to 3 cups) to make the dough stiff enough to roll out on floured table. Cut with a cookie cutter and bake on greased cookies sheets at 350°F until light brown, about 12 minutes. (Because it’s a honey dough, it needs a bit more baking time, then regular cookies.) Cool and ice with the following glaze.

Sugar glaze:
Beat 1 egg white and set aside. Bring to boil 1 cup sugar and ¼ cup cold water; cook on medium heat about 3 to 4 minutes until “slimy looking” or syrupy. Pour syrup into beaten egg white, while beating, and continue beating for a few minutes, until stiff peaks form. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice which makes the icing even whiter and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Note: I keep the container with the icing in a bowl of hot water so it won’t stiffen on me too fast, that way you can ice the very last cookie before it turns sugary. I take one cookie at a time, dip my fingers in the icing and ice them all around. Put them on wax paper to dry.

Tips: Don’t answer the phone while you’re icing the cookies! Also, it’s a great time to meditate while icing them.

It’s important to stir the icing occasionally because it tends to crystallize on the side of the bowl as well as at the top. If the icing gets too ”sugary”, add a few drops of boiling water and stir briskly.

These cookies are best if you freeze them for a few weeks before serving, as the flavor gets better with age. I’m a person of flavours! This is a small recipe; I always take it double or even triple it (if you double the recipe make sure to double the icing as well). Good luck.