These Lebkuchen Shortbread biscuits are very similar in style and flavour to German Gingerbread biscuits, and German Christmas Cookies. They are very easy to make and are perfect if you need to make a batch of festive cookies in a hurry.
Preheat the oven to 160 deg fan assisted and have ready 2 large baking trays lined with a silicone baking sheet or baking parchment lightly dusted with flour.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until well combined. This should only take a few minutes.
Add the sieved flour, cornflour, Lebkuchen spice mix, and salt. Mix everything together to form a smooth firm dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go along.
Having a scraper attachment on your mixer will help greatly, but if you don’t have one, make sure that you scrape the sides of the bowl down as often as you can.
Divide the dough into 2 round equally weighed portions, place these onto the prepared baking sheets and flatten them into 7 inch/18cm circles using a rolling pin. See my note below about sizing. Neaten and decorate the edges with a fork.
Using a knife, mark each round into 8 portions, slicing about halfway through the dough. Using a fork prick rows of holes in each section, this will allow for a more evenly baked shortbread.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 mins or until baked with a slightly golden colour.
You may see the portion markings disappear during baking, so as soon as you take the shortbread biscuits out of the oven, cut the portions all the way through before the shortbread cools completely. Do this before leaving them to cool completely.
Alternatively, you can do the final slicing about ¾ of the way through cooking time returning the shortbread back to the oven to finish baking.
Notes
NOTES AND FAQ’S
Too thin – Try to keep the size of each round of shortbread to within 7 inches. If you roll out the dough too thinly, they will break very easily once baked.
Too thick – If you roll them out to less than 7 inches they will be thicker and may need an extra few minutes baking time.
How can you tell if Shortbread is cooked?Shortbread is usually done baking when it starts to have a slightly golden colour, especially around the edges. It may still be soft in the centre, but it should not be too pale in colour.
What are some ideas for Lebkuchen shortbread Cookies and German Cookies?You could shape them into Lebkuchen stars and other shapes using your favourite cookie cutter. Or mix some candied fruit to the Lebkuchen cookie dough.
What is Lebkuchen?Lebkuchen is a baked Christmas treat of German origin. It is very similar to Gingerbread.
Keyword Festive Cookies, German Cookies, Lebkuchen