Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• ½ cup honey
  
• ½ cup chopped candied orange and lemon peel
  
• 1 ½ teaspoons cloves
  
• 1 ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1 teaspoon soda
  
• ½ grated lemon rind
  
• 1 cup unblanched almonds sliced thin
  
• 2 ¾ cups sifted flour

Heat 12 cup sugar and honey to boiling. Remove form heat, add peel, spices, and soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water. Add remaining ingredients (save ½ cup sugar for icing). Knead until well blended. Roll dough to ½ inch thickness. Put on greased waxed paper on cookie sheet. Bake in moderate oven, 325F, for about 25 min. turn out on wire rack, and remove paper at once. Turn right side up. Cook remaining ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water until mixture spins a thread. Spread on Leckerli. Cut in diamonds. Store airtight at least one week before eating.

Dick doesn’t put in the candied orange or lemon peel. And instead of dissolving the soda in 2 teaspoons water he uses about ¼ cup. This makes it much easier to mix and roll (and chew).

Thanks to Chef Robert B. Graf of Alphorn Bistro, Inn at Danbury, Danbury, NH for this recipe.