Basler Leckerli (swiss Spiced Hard Bars)

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 800 g honey
• 300 g unbleached slivered almonds
• 400 g sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2 pinches ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
• 100 g candied orange peel, chopped
• 100 g candied lemon peel, chopped
• 1 lemons lemon, grated zest only (optional)
• 60 ml kirsch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (optional) or 1 teaspoon potash (optional)
• 1000 g flour
• 250 g sugar
• 110 ml water

Recipe

• 1 melt honey very slowly in a pan, add almonds, sugar and swirl until the sugar is melted too.
• 2 let cool slightly.
• 3 add all other ingredients until the kirsch and mix well.
• 4 add the flour and eventually the baking soda and work to a compact dough.
• 5 roll the dough out on two greased baking sheets approximately 5 mm thick.
• 6 store overnight.
• 7 preheat the oven at 180°c (heat and timing are basing it on convection oven).
• 8 prepare the glaze heating in a pot water and sugar until boiling point. reduce the heat but let it boil slowly.
• 9 bake 15-20 minutes at 180°c (i need 18 minutes).
• 10 in the meanwhile the glaze should be ready. it takes about 15 to 20 minutes until it thickens, it’s bound and crystals appear.
• 11 remove from the heat but keep on a slightly warm plate.
• 12 when the dough is baked, remove pans to a rack and immediately cut in rectangles (but don’t separate them completely) brush the tops with glaze.
• 13 when cooled dived the rectangles and store in airtight containers.
• 14 note: you can built a gingerbread house with this dough! i used 3 fold quantities for the gingerbread house of the picture!