Grammy usually made these without looking at a recipe, and she improvised if she needed to … so none of these recipes will exactly duplicate her spicy, chewy versions of these holiday cookies. The kind you find in the store, or at German/Bavarian holiday markets, are much drier and crisper than the ones she made, for hers were thick and chewy with a light taste of chocolate and tiny cubes of diced citron. Also, hers had a richer sweet and nutty fragrance than any we’ve found elsewhere. Finally, Grammy put these cookies in a heavy ceramic crock with a wooden lid and let them age for at least two weeks before serving them.

Besides these for lebkuchen, our family has a lot of recipes that are generally thought to be German or Pennsylvania Dutch although the most recent ancestors technically were neither. Grammy’s grandfather was from Gasperich, one of the southern sections of Luxembourg City. His Catholic family sent him off to a seminary; fortunately for us, he was adamantly opposed to becoming a priest so his brother broke him out one night and both fled to the United States. Grammy, who was born in 1902 and came of age during World War I, insisted she was French/Luxembourger and definitely, definitely NOT German, but, hey, look at a map. Yeah, geography doesn’t lie, and that explains why so many family recipes are obviously German, Bavarian, or Mennonite.

The recipe card in Grammy’s handwriting says “My Lebkuchen,” but there are some obvious ingredients missing, and she lists 8 cups of flour twice. Yikes. The Lebkuchen I recipe is probably closer to what Grammy really used; there’s no question that her best versions contained almonds and a wee drop of spirits. Godiva chocolate liqueur works pretty well, but doesn’t give quite the kick of the Jim Beam Grandaddy kept hidden under the kitchen sink.

Lebkuchen I

• 1 ½ pounds powdered sugar
• 8 eggs, beaten
• ½ pound ground almonds
• ½ pound chopped citron
• ½ box Baker’s German Sweet chocolate, grated
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup bourbon or whiskey (can use chocolate or Irish cream-flavored liqueur)
• 2 tablespoons to ½ cup tart jelly (Grammy used damson plum, but currant works)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 pounds flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except flour. Add as much of the two pounds of flour that is needed to make a dough that will roll out. Roll to ¼-inch thickness and cut into circles. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, but don’t brown. Cool completely, and store in airtight container for at least two weeks before serving.

Lebkuchen II

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Brer Rabbit-brand “full flavor” molasses**
• 1 cup warm coffee*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 ½ cups flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ pound chopped citron
• ¼ pound shredded orange peel
• ¼ pound shredded lemon peel
• 1 ½ cups chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, stirring after each. Add molasses. Dissolve baking soda in coffee, then add. Add dry ingredients, then chopped fruit and nuts. Roll out to at least ¼-inch thickness and cut into circles. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool completely, then store cookies in airtight container for at least two weeks before serving.

* Don’t hesitate to add the coffee regardless of which recipe you try. A little bit of coffee escalates chocolate flavor and gives baked goods lovely rich bass notes without, surprisingly, adding a lot of bitterness.

**Yeah, we’re kind of uncomfortable about the brand name Brer Rabbit, and the fact that it’s named after a character in Joel Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus stories. Seriously, they’re going to have to consider re-branding one of these days. On the other hand, this brand is our go-to for molasses; not only because Grammy always used it, but because it is unsulphured, made from sugar cane and has no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. Also, as Jon Stewart says of Chick-Fil-A, “but it’s soooo tasty.”

from our Grammy, Lucille Lacaff Marshall