Chocolate Lebkuchen

This recipe comes from Christmas, 1961. These bars have a light, tart frosting. This dough needs to ripen for a couple of days, but it’s worth it.

Original recipe makes 50 cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup candied mixed fruit, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons orange juice

1/4 cup green decorator sugar
1/4 cup cinnamon red hot candies

PREP

15 mins
COOK

45 mins
READY IN

3 days 1 hr 20 mins

Directions

Combine sugar, honey and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, stir together the honey mixture with the chocolate chips, almonds, candied fruit, eggs, and orange juice. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, baking soda and baking powder; stir into the fruit and nut mixture. Tightly cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days to blend the flavors.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10×15 inch jellyroll pan. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool and frost with the orange frosting.
To make the orange frosting, put the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl, and beat in the orange juice 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Spread over the cooled bars. Cut bars into diamond shapes, and place cinnamon candies on top then sprinkle with the green sugar.