Recipe(tried): Lebkuchen Cookies for nicky

LEBKUCHEN

a bottle of molasses [light]
one box of brown sugar
4 cups of honey
very large container of sour cream
2 tble, cinnamon
1 teas nutmeg
1 teas. allspice
4 cups of walnuts
2 teas salt
2 teas baking powder
3 eggs
candied fruit { citron, orange peel, lemon peel ] or a mixture sold in containers, pre-cut! use about 4 containers
flour, usually about 5 lbs. kneaded into the moist ingredients.

melt the first four ingredients together in a large pan...[ taste, it's delicious.....
after warming it thorougly, add the spices and start beating in the eggs and flour, keep adding until you can hardly stir it.....this is work! let stand overnight, in the morning, keep kneading in enough flour until it's of rolling, manageable consistency.....this will take a while!

roll about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch thick....cut into strips, or an oblong shape, bake at 350 degrees untill they spring back when touched...when cool, frost as follows:

icing:
2 boxes of xxx sugar
milk to thin to spreading consistency
vanilla usually 2 teas.
2 teas light corn syrup

spread on cooled cookies, top with a walnut or almond....you can also sprinkle with colored sugars...enjoy! makes just oodles of them...but, it's a lot of hard work...

i forgot to add...my grandmother used to cut the bottom off a hersheys cocoa container...somehow she found the shape just right for these cookies...i think they might be plastic now, which would be easier, but, she used it for a cookie cutter...worked great, thought i'd share that tip with you......

if you really want to get fancy, marinate the dried fruits in a little brandy for a few days, you can also put in some raisins too...in the brandy....it tenderizes the fruits...grandma didn't do this, just me, but it was soooooo good......xxx ooo happy baking!