This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe from Dorie’s Cookies is Leckerli. Lecker-what? I hear you ask!
Dorie says it’s
a kind of spice cookie, in the gingerbread and pain d’épices (French spice cake) family, but with deep roots in Switzerland. In fact, even in the Alsatian region of France, where leckerli is a tradition, it’s called leckerli de Bâle, giving recognition to its city of origin, Bâle, or Basel. The story goes that leckerli, made from a heavy dough of honey, sugar, candied zest and almonds, baked and glazed, debuted in the mid-1400s. The glaze, however, was a laggard — it didn’t show up until the eighteenth century.
She goes on to explain that she love this recipe because it’s got “leeway”. It can be a little bit hard (but not dry), soft-ish and chewy, really packed with fruit or just lightly stuffed with candied or dried fruits and it can be slightly or very spicy – all depends on your tastes/ preferences (and, in my case, what you have on hand).
It’s truly a odd recipe that doesn’t feel like it’s really going to come together and bake -it’s got honey, sugar, candied peel (I used dried apricots) and zest with flour, baking soda, spices, almonds and Grand Marnier. That’s it, that’s all. You boil the honey and sugar and then soak the candied or dried fruit with the zest in that for about 30 minutes. Then you mix in the dried ingredients and Grand Marnier into the honey mixture, mix it up as best you can and roll it out (it’s a thick mixture that is a bit unwieldy – I made 1/4 of the mixture and just used my hands, some flour and parchment paper to do this step), then let it sit either at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for 2 days. I know, right?!
On the day of baking, the slice (it’s definitely not a cookie) bakes for about 13 minutes and then while it’s warm, you make and pour a glaze over it (icing sugar and water/ Grand Marnier) then let it set.
I LOVED this slice – felt like an adult granola bar (with that hint of alcohol). SUCH an interesting recipe and method. Will I make this again? Yes – it’s a wonderful holiday recipe and lasts for days so it’s a great one to prepare in advance!
Get the recipe for Leckerli from Dorie’s Cookies on p 56 of Dorie’s Cookies!
Want more cookie recipes? Buy Dorie’s Cookies on Amazon (this link should bring you to the Amazon store geographically closest to you) or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Then join us over on Tuesdays with Dorie and bake your way through the book!
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Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of “Dorie’s Cookies” for review purposes. I was not asked to write about the book, nor am I being compensated for doing so. All opinions 100% my own.
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This certainly was intriguing – and I, too, loved it.
A nice wee snack. Sort of the “after-school” gouter for us working folks. 😉
loved that you played around with the fruit component! these are good, and i appreciate the shelf-life.