6 c unsifted flour 1 c sugar
1 T baking soda 1 egg
2 tsp ground cinnamon ½ c finely chopped candied citron
1 tsp ground cloves ½ c finely chopped walnuts
1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp aniseed
1 tsp ground nutmeg 4 T butter, softened
2 c honey or 2 c light molasses 3 c confectioners' sugar
1 c buttermilk 1/3 c water
12 T (¾ cup) lard, softened
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Combine the flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and nutmeg, and sift
them together onto a sheet of wax paper. Stir the honey or molasses and the
buttermilk together in a bowl and set aside.In a deep mixing bowl, cream the lard and sugar by beating and mashing them against the sides of the bowl with the back of a spoon until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add about 1 cup of the flour mixture and, when it is well incorporated, beat in about ½ cup of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat five more times, alternating 1 cup of the flour mixture with ½ cup of the buttermilk mixture and beating well after each addition. Stir in the citron, chopped walnuts and aniseed. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in wax paper and refrigerate it for about 1 hour for easier handling.
Preheat the oven to 350°. With a pastry brush, spread 2 tablespoons of the softened butter evenly over two large baking sheets. Cut the dough in half, shape each half into a ball, and return one ball to the refrigerator. Place the remaining ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rough rectangle about ¼ inch thick.
With a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut the dough into 2-inch squares and arrange the squares about 1 inch apart on the buttered baking sheets. Bake in the middle of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the lebkuchen are firm to the touch.
With a spatula, slide the cookies onto wire racks. Stir the confectioners' sugar and water to a smooth paste and brush a little of the mixture over the tops of the lebkuchen while they are still warm.
Let the baking sheets cool completely, then spread them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of softened butter. Roll out the second ball of cookie dough as before. Following the identical procedure, cut and bake the remaining lebkuchen, and glaze them with the rest of the confectioners sugar-and-water paste. In a tightly covered jar or tin, the lebkuchen can safely be kept for 2 or 3 weeks. Makes about 5 dozen 2-inch square cookies.
