Spiced Cookies with Candied Citrus Peels and Almonds (Leckerli)

A Swiss-born Holiday staple

Leckerli cookies originally hail from Switzerland, but they are also very popular in Alsace around Christmas time, where you can find them in most bakeries and market stalls.

So much so, they are part of what Alsatians call “Bredeles”, their local Christmas cookie “trays”, which also usually include Speculos cookies, chocolate-coated Spritz, butterbredele, Linzer cookies, and so much more! The more you wait, the better they will taste.

These Leckerli cookies are easy to make but require time and patience. The dough needs to rest at least overnight, ideally 2 or 3 nights (some people wait even longer – up to 1 week).

This time allows all the flavors from the spices, honey and citrus peels to blend and develop. This also initiates a fermentation process, which lends distinct flavors to these cookies.

So the more you wait, the better they will taste! As for their texture, this recipe will give you a chew that slightly sticks to your teeth, but with a crisp bottom.

Some people like them really chewy and soft, some prefer them very crisp. I like them right in middle.

How to make these Spiced cookies with Candied Citrus Peels and Almonds (Leckerli) The recipe starts with warming up the honey, sugar, lemon zest and spices all together in a sauce pan.

This dissolves the sugar and allows the development of the flavors of the spice. The Kirsch, sliced almonds and citrus peels are then added and stirred to coat.

In a separate bowl, the flour gets mixed with the salt and baking soda. You then add the honey mixture to these dry ingredients and stir to combine.

The dough should be quite thick and hard to stir. When fully combined, it should come together into a rough ball, like a pie dough.

After chilling the dough one hour, you roll it out into a large square and cover it again to rest for 1 to 3 days. Remember, the more you wait, the better they will taste. But to give you an idea, the Leckerli cookies that are pictured here have rested overnight – and were still very delicious.

After this resting time, the large square of dough gets baked and then generously brushed with a glaze made of icing sugar, kirsch and water. When completely cooled and the glaze has set, you can finally cut the large square into smaller squares and enjoy. Cooking notes :

• This recipe includes several spices that need to be ground (ie. cinnamon, clove). Using a spice grinder will make much it easier for preparing the spice blend.
• Kirsch is traditionally used in the Leckerli recipe, which gives lovely cherry notes. As a substitute if you’re not fond of Kirsch, you can use rum.
• Before cutting the biscuits, brush your cutting knife lightly with a neutral oil. This will prevent the knife from sticking to the candied peels and make cleaner cuts. The four end pieces (four sides) of the large square tend to be very crunchy/tough, while the inside is chewy and tender. I like to trim these ends off (I remove about ½-1 inch all around), but you can keep them if you wish.

I hope you’ll love these Spiced cookies with Candied Citrus Peels and Almonds (Leckerli) as much as I do! They are a staple to make for the Holidays, to have on-hand for hosting, and to include in a cookie swap.

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to know how it turned out!

Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench. Bon Appetit!