This recipe is adapted from a Swiss recipe for Basler lekkerli. Lekkerlei means a tasty treat. It works really well with beremeal. The spices and peel make for a really Christmassy flavour, and it gets better and better with keeping- if you can keep it that long!
Ingredients for one large baking sheet:
- 225g honey (can be replaced with golden syrup for vegans)
- 150g sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
- 1 pinch of clove powder
- ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
- 100g ground candied peel
- 100g ground almonds
- Ground skin of half a lemon
- 50ml of Orkney gin (we suggest something flavoursome like Johnsmas)
- 150g plain flour
- 150g fine beremeal
- 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 75g icing sugar
Method
- Put honey, sugar, cinnamon, clove powder and nutmeg in a pan. Slowly heat the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until the sugar fully dissolves and the spices are well incorporated. Once heated, remove the pan from the stove and set aside to cool slightly.
- Add ground candied peel, ground almonds and ground lemon skin, and stir until mixed evenly.
- Gradually stir in the gin, flours and bicarbonate of soda, mix to combine then knead on a table to form a soft dough. If the dough feels too dry, add a small amount of water or gin.
- While the dough is still warm, roll it out to about 5-10mm thick and fit to baking sheet. Allow the dough to rest in a dry place for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
- Pre-heat your own 220 °C (200°C fan), then bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- While baking, prepare the icing by mixing icing sugar and warm gin or water together. Stir until the mixture is smooth then spoon over the ‘biscuit’ as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Trim off any rough edges then cut into small pieces (5 x 3 cm), remove from the baking sheets and let them cool.
