Prep. time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Waiting time: 4 + 8 hours

Lebkuchen are delicious soft gingerbread cookies found in the Christmas markets of Germany and Austria.

The photo shows three kinds of lebkuchen: with sugar icing, chocolate and chopped almonds. 

 The day before

1. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and pale.
2. Add the chopped peel, warmed honey, chopped almonds, powdered almonds and spices.
3. Add the two flours and baking soda. Mix to form a well-combined, sticky dough.
4. Cover with a damp cloth and refrigerate for 4 hours.
5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Brush with melted butter.
6. Place small balls of dough, 2-3 cm in diameter, on the parchment, leaving 4-5 cm between them. Since the dough is very sticky, grease your hands with butter or use a piping bag.
7. Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand, remembering to butter your hand again as the dough begins to stick.

The next day

1. Preheat the oven to 160° C/325° F. Bake the lebkuchen for 10-15 minutes.
2. Remove them from the oven when barely colored and soft, since they will firm up as they cool. If overbaked, they'll be dry and less appealing. Let cool before removing from the tray.

Finishing

1. In a bowl, combine the icing sugar with a little lemon juice. It should be liquid enough to be brushed onto the cookies, but not so much as to soak in.
2. Let dry 30 minutes, then apply a second coat of icing. Wait until the next day to serve, when they will be soft and flavorful under their layer of slightly crunchy icing.