Leckerli cookies

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 c Honey
1/3 c Sugar
2 1/2 c Unsifted flour (see note)
4 ts Baking powder
1 ts Ground cinnamon
1 pn Nutmeg
1 pn Cloves
2/3 c Sliced almonds
3 tb Candied orange peel finely -chopped
3 tb Candied lemon peel finely -chopped
1 Egg
2 tb Kirsch OR orange juice

Instructions:

Milk Glaze (recipe follows) Candied red cherries -halved for topping Angelica or candied citron -peel cut into leaf shapes -for topping Spices and candied fruit are in these chewy cookie squares. NOTE: When unsifted flour is called for fluff up the flour in the sack orcontainer with a fork before measuring. Preheat oven to 375~. Combine honey and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat slowly stirring constantly until honey thinks and sugar dissolves; cool slightly. Sift flour baking powder cinnamon nutmeg and cloves into a large bowl. Add almonds candied orange and lemon peels; mix to coat. Add cooled honey mixture egg and kirsch to flour mixture; stir with wooden spoon until blended. Knead dough together with palm of hand until mixture cleans side of bowl; shape into ball; flatten slightly. Roll dough between two sheets of wax paper to a 13x9 inch rectangle slightly less than 1/4-inch thick keeping edges as even as possible. Remove top piece of wax paper; flip dough onto lightly greased cookie sheet; removesecond piece of wax paper. Brush top lightly with milk. Bake in 375~ oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookie sheet to wire tack. Trim edges of cookie dough; cut into 2-inch squares. Make Glaze. Brush quickly over warm Leckerli. (Do not make syrup until Leckerli are out ofthe oven or syrup will harden>) Decorate with candied red cherry halves and angelica leaves. Glaze will harden and turn white. ~=> Glaze: Combine 1/2 cu granulated sugar and 3 Tablespoons water in saucepan. Cook about 5 minutes or until it registers 235~ on candy thermometer. Brush glaze on cookies while both are still warm.