Chocolate Lebkuchen

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 50
• 2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon clove
• 1 teaspoon cardamom seed, finely crushed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup candied fruit, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1/4 cup orange juice

Recipe

• 1 sift the flour, cinnamon, cloves, seeds, baking soda and powder together and set aside.
• 2 bring sugar, honey and water to boil in saucepan over moderate heat.
• 3 stir the chocolate, walnuts, fruit, eggs, and orange juice into honey mixture until blended.
• 4 blend the flour mixture in gradually.
• 5 store dough in tightly covered dish, at room temperature, for 3 days, to ripen.
• 6 preheat oven to 325°f
• 7 spread dough in greased 15" x 10" x 1" pan and bake at 325 f for 35 to 40 minutes.
• 8 cool. wrap in foil and store till ready to use. (this keeps very well for weeks and improves in flavor on storing).
• 9 when ready to use, unwrap, and sust with confectioners' sugar. cut in 3" x 1" bars.