Christmas Spice Cookies (Lebkuchen)

Name: Christmas Spice Cookies (Lebkuchen)
Yield: Makes 30 cookies
Cuisine: Eastern European & German
Ingredients: 6 ounces, unblanched hazelnuts, toasted and cooled (about 1 1/4 cups); 6 ounces, unblanched whole almonds, toasted and cooled (about 1 cup); 3/4 cup, granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces); 1 1/2 teaspoons, ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon, ground cardamom; 1/2 teaspoon, freshly grated nutmeg; 3 tablespoons, grated zest from 3 oranges; 2 tablespoons, grated zest from 2 lemons; 1 1/2 cups, unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces); 2 tablespoons, Dutch-processed cocoa; 1/2 teaspoon, salt; 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick), unsalted butter, softened; 3/4 cup, light brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces); 4 large, eggs; 1 teaspoon, vanilla extract; 1/4 cup, whole milk; 1 3/4 cups, confectioners' sugar (7 ounces)

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated January/February 2008

Desserts or Baked Goods

Eastern European & German

These German Christmas cookies are essentially spice-nut cookies—chock-full of ground nuts and flavored with a healthy dose of lemon and orange zest.

SERVESMakes 30 cookies

TIME1¾ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling

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