Monika's Oma's Lebkuchen Men
Description
Cinnamon, cloves, and honey flavor these classic German gingerbread (lebkuchen) men that you can hang as Christmas decorations or nibble on!
Ingredients
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2 cups ground almonds
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1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
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1/2 cup white sugar
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2 teaspoons cocoa powder
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2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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6 1/2 tablespoons butter
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1/4 cup honey
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1 egg
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1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
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2 tablespoons cocoa powder
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2 tablespoons boiling water, or as needed
Directions
1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two baking sheets.
2
Mix ground almonds, flour, white sugar, 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to rub in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add honey and egg; mix together to form a dough.
3
Dust work surface with flour. Roll out dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with a floured cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
4
Bake in the preheated oven until edges are brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan 1 to 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
5
Combine confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder in a bowl. Mix in enough boiling water to make a smooth and spreadable icing. Spread icing on cooled cookies using a table knife. Set aside until icing hardens, about 2 hours.