Recipe: Elisen Lebkuchen with Thin Lemon or Orange Frosting

Elisen Lebkuchen with Thin Lemon or Orange Frosting
Source: Woman's Day Christmas Cookie Recipes, Dec. 1961
Makes about 60 cookies

2 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 lemon), juiced
1 lemon peel -- grated
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves -- ground
1 3/4 pints almonds -- finely ground
4 ounces candied lemon peel -- finely ground
1 cup flour -- sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 Thin Lemon or Orange Frosting (recipe follows)
colored sugar

Preheat oven to 325F.

With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat sugar with eggs, lemon rind and lemon juice for 10 minutes.

Blend in nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, almonds, and peel. Sift in flour and baking powder. Mix thoroughly. The dough will be soft and sticky

Line two 11x7x1-inch pans with heavy brown paper so that the ends reach over about 2-inches on all sides.

Divide dough into pans and bake for 40 minutes or until golden on top and testing clean. *Do not overbake* Lift carefully out of pan and cool on rack.

Frost with Thin Lemon Frosting and decorate with colored sugar while warm. Let frosting harden.

With sharp knife dipped in water, cut each baked "cake" into 30 strips. Remove carefully from paper by pushing wet spatula underneath each strip and pushing to the side. These cookies are not neat, they will have a ragged edge.

Thin Lemon or Orange Frosting

1 cup confectioner's sugar -- sifted
1 tablespoon lemon juice -- or orange juice (1 to 2 tbsp)

Combine the ingredients and stir.