Lebkuchen Hearts

Lebkuchen Hearts

• 115g butter
• 115g soft dark brown sugar (muscovado is wonderful in these)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 115g black treacle
• 400g self raising flour, sieved
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 100g icing sugar
• Red food colouring

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add this to the sugar and butter and stir until all combined and forms a sticky ball of dough.
3. Knead the dough briefly on a floured surface until the dough is smooth and then wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven 180˚C/160˚C fan/gas mark 3 and grease and line 2 baking sheets.
5. After an hour of chilling, knead briefly on a floured surface again and then roll the dough out to approx ½ cm thickness. Cut out the heart shapes, re-roll the excess and repeat until all the dough is used.
6. As these are going to be decorations, you will need to make a hole at the top to thread ribbon through later. Making the hole with a drinking straw gives you the perfect size. Place the biscuits onto the baking sheets and bake for 10 mins until they are firm and starting to deepen in colour.
7. Allow to cool for 5 mins on the baking tray, then transfer to a cooling rack.
8. To make the icing, sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and add water a little at a time, mixing thoroughly between additions. You are looking for a paste like consistency, not too runny. Add the food colouring (a paste is good) until you achieve the colour you like.
9. Load a piping bag with a writing nozzle and spoon the icing into the bag (it helps to place the open bag inside a glass). Pipe away! If you make an error you can wipe it off (and of course lick your fingers) and start again. Allow to air dry until the icing is firm, then tie on lengths of your favourite ribbon.