Directions

Grind nuts in food processor until very fine. My little food processor takes a bit under a minute to grind to the right consistency.

Beat eggs and sugar on medium speed until well blended and the mixture is light. Mix spices, flour, baking powder and ground nuts together, and add to egg mixture. Mix on a lower speed until blended. Line a small jelly roll pan (12x16 inches) with parchment paper, pour mixture into pan and smooth.

Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Flip pan, remove pan, remove parchment paper from back of Lebkuchen, and flip Lebkuchen upright.

In a small bowl, whisk egg white until foamy (not yet the soft peak stage). Whisk powdered sugar two tablespoons at a time into the egg white. Whisk in vanilla or almond extract. Icing will be fairly stiff but spreadable. Spread on cooling Lebkuchen and allow to cool for another 20 minutes.

Cut into bars about 3 inches by 1 1/2 inches. Store in the ubiquitous airtight container.

Notes: You can omit the nuts and add a bit more flour. Or you may wish to add some (about a half cup?) finely chopped candied fruit. The fruit should probably not be as finely chopped as the nuts.

These spicy holiday cookies hail from Germany and were traditionally sweetened with honey, but German immigrants in America substituted molasses. They have all the spice of a gingersnap and a texture that's tender and chewy

2. With an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together the brown sugar, honey, molasses, egg, and orange zest in a mixing bowl until smooth.

3. Combine the almonds, raisins, and crystallized ginger, if you're using it (for extra zip), in a food processor. Pulse repeatedly to finely chop the mixture. (You can also finely chop the ingredients by hand.) Stir the nut mixture into the sugar mixture.

4. Sift the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt into a separate medium-size bowl. Then stir the dry mixture into the liquid a third at a time, stirring well after each addition. The dough will be quite dense and sticky.

5. Scrape the dough onto a well-floured 3-foot-long sheet of plastic wrap. Generously flour the dough. Then, using floured hands, knead the dough several times to smooth it. Flatten the dough into a 1-inch-thick square and wrap it in the plastic. Slide the dough into a plastic bag or wrap it in aluminum foil and chill it until firm, several hours or overnight.

6. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet (preferably not a dark one) with parchment or lightly greased aluminum foil. Set the sheet aside. Transfer the dough to a generously floured sheet of waxed paper and roll it into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle or square. Cut the dough into cookies that measure about 2 inches square.

7. Transfer the squares to the baking sheet, spacing them about an inch apart. Bake the cookies on the center oven rack for 12 to 13 minutes, 1 sheet at a time. When done, the cookies will have formed a crust, but they should still feel soft to the touch. (Tip: The cookies stay chewier if you bake them less and put them in an airtight container while they're still slightly warm. If your family prefers a crisper cookie, just bake them a little longer and let them cool completely before you store them.) Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and, while they are still quite warm, dredge them in confectioners' sugar. When they've cooled completely, dredge them once more. Makes about 18 to 24 cookies.