Elisen Lebkuchen
2 ¼ c. sugar
4 eggs
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 ¼ t. nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. ground cloves
½ t. almond extract
3 ½ c. almonds
2 oz. candied lemon peel
1 c. flour
½ t. baking powder
¼ lb. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (best quality available)
Multicolored sprinkles
Preheat oven to 325⁰. Line 11” by 17” jelly roll pan with parchment paper and grease it, or grease it and line it with greased brown Kraft paper; an opened grocery bag is fine. The paper must extend beyond the edges of the pan.
With electric mixer, beat 1 ¼ c. sugar, eggs, lemon rind and juice for 10 minutes at medium speed.
In food processor, finely grind almonds with 1 c. sugar; add candied lemon peel, flour and baking powder. The mixture should be flourlike in texture. Work in batches if necessary.
To lemon-egg mixture add nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, then add almond/lemon peel mixture, then almond extract. Mix well. The dough will be very sticky and soft. Pour dough into prepared pan, distributing it evenly with rubber spatula. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until dough does not stick to a toothpick poked in the center. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack for 5-10 minutes.
While still warm, frost with chocolate which has been melted in microwave or in double boiler over hot water. Alternately, you may (carefully) drop chocolate chips over the warm pan of cookies, using its heat to melt them. If you use this method it is important to be very gentle while spreading the melted chocolate, being careful not to tear the surface of the cookies. Decorate top with sprinkles and allow to set, but not to harden completely.
When chocolate is no longer soft, but before it has fully hardened, carefully lift out the paper with the cookie dough, placing it on a cutting surface. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into 1 ½” or 2” squares. The cookies are rather sticky, and the knife may require rinsing off from time to time.
Allow chocolate to become firm. With spatula, remove cookies from parchment paper. Store in cool place.
