Lebkuchen Train

Ingredients

• 250 g honey
• 250 g brown sugar
• 150 g butter
• 100 g Ground Almonds
• 400 g flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp ground cloves
• 0.25 tsp ground cardamom
• 0.25 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• flour (for the work surface)
• colorful icing
• colored sugar beads

Instructions

1. 1.

   Heat honey, sugar and butter in a pot while stirring until the sugar dissolves; remove from heat, transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool. Add almonds, flour, all spices, cocoa and egg to the butter mixture and knead thoroughly with a dough hook. Dissolve baking soda in 2 tbsp water and add to the dough, continuing to knead until the dough shines and no longer sticks; if necessary, fold in more flour. The dough should be firm and workable. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

2. 2.

   Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 18‑20 minutes. Remove, gently lift from the sheet and cool on a wire rack. Cut circles for wheels and wagons, and squares or rectangles for the locomotive and additional wagons from the finished gingerbread dough.

3. 3.

   Assemble the individual parts and decorate with colorful icing and sugar beads.