German Gingerbread Hearts (Markt Lebkuchenherzen)
German gingerbread hearts (markt lebkuchenherzen) can be prepared and decorated with royal icing for gifting or display.
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Instructions
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Boil butter, honey, sugar, cocoa powder, and gingerbread spice mix in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves; cool slightly.
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In a bowl, sift flour with baking powder and salt, then make a depression and add an egg. Pour the cooled honey mixture over and mix on low speed until a dough ball forms, avoiding extra flour.
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Wrap the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 4 to 48 hours, preferably overnight.
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Preheat the oven to 350 F.
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Roll out half the dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut out large heart shapes; add 1-2 holes near the top if desired for hanging.
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Repeat with the remaining dough, noting it does not reroll well.
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Place cookies on a parchment-lined sheet and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until set and lightly browned. Bake any trimmed scraps for practice.
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Cool cookies completely on the baking sheet.
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Prepare royal icing. Tint some icing with food coloring as desired.
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Fill decorator bags with icing, using a leaf tip for borders and a writing tip for words.
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Decorate the cooled cookies and baked scraps as preferred.