Christmas is here!

I don't have a passion of decorating cookies or tart. Honestly I don't think that I'm talented for that, although people say, it's just a matter of practice. I decided to make a little practice of cookies decoration at this christmas baking season..:-), although I'm a muslim, but baking christmas cookies is a kind of joy. These pictures are the result of my first practice, what do you thing?

This cookie is a "must" at chritsmas time in austria/german called "LEBKUCHEN", a very spice cookie with a flavour of cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg.

LEBKUCHEN

Ingredients:
50 g maple syrup
75 g honey
100 g brown sugar
150 g butter
375 g flour
1/2 tsp natron (baking soda)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, ground gloves and cayenne

for garnish (optional): icing sugar, sugar pearl or your favorite cookies decoration

Method:

1. Place maple syrup, honig, sugar and 50ml water in a pan and bring to boil until the sugar melted. Then add butter and let it also melted. Cool the mixture a little bit.

2. Mix flour with baking soda and all spices. Knead the flour mixture with the above mentioned mixture. Wrap the doug with plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator for a night.

3. Preheat the oven 180°C (use above and bottom heat). Roll the dough in about 4mm thick and form with different x-mas moulds.

4. Place formed Lebkuchen into a covered with parchment baking sheed and bake for about 15min. Cool on wire rack.

5. Decorate it with icing sugar and pearl sugar.

I wish you a merry x-mas

&

 happy new year 2012