German Honey Bars Recipes

LEBKUCHEN (GERMAN HONEY BARS)

Steps:

• Honey bars:
• Heat honey and water in a large heavy saucepan until runny. Remove from heat, and stir in butter until melted. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in brown sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
• Add the flour mixture to the honey mixture and stir just until combined. Add almonds, citron, and candied orange peel. Stir until the dough is smooth. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 24 hours or up to 1 month.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper so it extends over the 2 long sides.
• Firmly press the dough into the prepared pan to form a smooth, even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean, about 30 minutes.
• Citrus glaze and decoration:
• In a medium bowl, beat together powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth. While the lebkuchen is still warm, spread glaze evenly over the top.
• Mark into bars by cutting into the lebkuchen about ¼ inch deep with a knife. Decorate, if desired, by placing 1 candied cherry in the center of each bar. And arrange 4 blanched almonds around each cherry.
• Let stand in the pan on a rack until completely cool and the icing is set. Using the overhanging parchment as handles, transfer to a cutting board. Cut into bars. If possible, let the cookies age for at least 2 weeks to allow the spices to ripen. Lebkuchen will keep for months in an airtight container.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Lightly grease or spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan.
• In medium bowl, mix butter and cake mix with fork until crumbly; reserve 1 cup. Press remaining mixture in bottom of pan.
• Bake 10 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked layer. Drop frosting by tablespoonfuls over chocolate chips. Stir milk into reserved cake mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto frosting layer.
• Bake 24 to 28 minutes or until cake portion is slightly dry to touch; cool 10 minutes. Carefully loosen edges of bars with knife. Cool completely. Refrigerate until firm. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Store loosely covered.

OLD GERMAN HONEY COOKIES

Steps:

• In a saucepan over low heat, melt together sugar, shortening and honey. Let cool.
• Mix together eggs, vanilla, baking soda and ginger. Gradually add to cooled honey mixture.
• Slowly add 4 cups of flour to mixture. Stir until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) until golden (about 12-15 minutes).

GERMAN CHOCOLATE BARS

Steps:

• Place cake mix in a large bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Press 2-1/2 cups into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Drop frosting by tablespoonfuls over the chips., Stir milk into the remaining crumb mixture; drop by teaspoonfuls over top. Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until bubbly around the edges and top is cracked. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate for 4 hours before cutting.

HONEY BARS

Steps:

• For the bars:.
• Preaheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly grease and flour 9x13 baking pan.
• Mix oil, honey, egg and vanilla in large mixing bowl.
• In separate bowl, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, pecans, salt and baking soda.
• Mix dry ingredients into moist.
• Put into baking pan.
• Bake 15-20 minutes.
• Icing:.
• Combine all ingredients and pour over hot bars fresh out of the oven.

HONEY CEREAL BARS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring honey and peanut butter to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and cereal. , Press into an ungreased 9-in. square pan. Spread chocolate over bars. Chill until firm.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE SNACKING BARS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate and butter or margarine over low heat. Remove pan from heat.
• Stir 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk, eggs, biscuit mix, and vanilla into chocolate mixture.
• Spread batter evenly into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, combine the remaining condensed milk with the coconut; spoon evenly over batter in baking dish. Sprinkle nuts over the top; press them down firmly.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cool and cut into bars.

LEBKUCHEN (GERMAN CHRISTMAS HONEY COOKIES)

Steps:

• Mix honey and molasses and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool completely.
• Stir in brown sugar, egg, lemon juice and lemon rind.
• Sift together flour, baking soda and spices, then stir into the honey-molasses mix.
• Mix in the citron and chopped nuts, place the dough in the refrigerator and chill overnight.
• Roll out a small amount of dough at a time to 1/4 inch thick, keeping the rest in the fridge. You can either cut out oblong shapes about 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" or just cut out circle shapes about 2" in diameter.
• Place on a GREASED baking sheet about 1" apart.
• Place 3 almonds on top of each cookie in a flower shape, and place in a 400 deg oven for 10-12 min or until no imprint remains when touched lightly.
• While cookies bake, make glaze by boiling the water and sugar to 230 degrees - until it just barely begins to thread.
• Remove from heat and stir in confectioners sugar.
• Brush the hot glaze lightly over the cookies (if it gets grainy reheat slightly with a little water to thin again).