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Hailing from Basel, Switzerland, Basler Läckerli (Leckerli) is a traditional spiced Christmas biscuit (cookie) recipe containing honey, nuts, candied citrus peel, and kirschwasser. It tastes like a cross between gingerbread and fruitcake, but with a chewy texture similar to blondie cookie bars.
If you like classic Christmas treats, such as fruitcake and mincemeat, these spiced cookie bars (also known as a traybake) are for you. They’re essentially Swiss gingerbread cookies, similar to German Lebkuchen and French Pain d’Epices. You’ll also see them spelled as Läggerli and Leckerly. According to Swiss Dreams, their name means “little delicious things from Basel”, with lecker meaning “delicious” in German and the suffix -li meaning “little”.
The origin of Basler Leckerli is quite interesting, and goes back centuries. In my research I came across different tales. However, popular legend holds that local spice merchants in Basel created this confection was around the time of the Roman Catholic’s Counsel of Basel in Switzerland (1431-1449). As the story goes, traditional Lebkuchen of the day was insufficient, so it was improved upon by adding nuts and citrus peel, thus creating the refined spice biscuit we know today as Leckerli.
If you’re planning a trip to Basel, Switzerland, pop by Jakob’s Basler Leckerly or Läckerli Huus to try their versions of this classic. Until then, you can enjoy these delicious little sweet treats from the comfort of your own home. And don’t wait for the holidays to make them; they’re as perfect with a cup of tea or coffee all year as they are with mulled wine or cider during Christmastime!
What Makes This Recipe Special
- It’s a small(ish) batch. I’m all for a huge batch of Christmas cookies for holiday cookie exchanges and parties, but what about when you just want a few cookies on hand for enjoying along with a festive cup of holiday tea? For this recipe, we use an 8 by 8-inch pan, and it makes just 16 cookies. If you want to double the recipe, use a 9 by 13-inch baking pan (you might need to add a couple of minutes to the baking time due to the difference in pan size relative to batter amount).
- The combination of floral honey and rich, warm spices is magic. And it’ll make your house smell like Christmas as it bakes.
- These cookies age beautifully and are meant to be made ahead. Don’t worry about them going stale, these cookies are actually better a few days after they’re made! Over the span of a couple weeks, they’re their crisp texture softens and they take on a chewy yet firm texture, and the flavors blend beautifully. (Also, note that their appearance can be a little misleading. These cookies look like they’re cakey; however, surprisingly they have a delightfully chewy texture!)
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Leckerli Ingredients:
- Flour – Use regular all-purpose flour.
- Salt – Salt helps create a balanced flavor profile and perfectly seasons the cookie dough so it’s not bland.
- Baking soda – This is the leavening agent. Here we use baking soda instead of baking powder because of the honey in this recipe (which is acidic).
- Honey – Honey adds floral sweetness to these spiced cookies. It also helps create a chewy texture. Additionally, it acts as a natural preservative that helps these cookies taste fresh for quite a while.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar adds sweetness and helps create the perfect chewiness.
- Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper – This warm blend of Christmasy spices lends rich flavor to these cookies. Don’t skip the black pepper, it’s a traditional gingerbread spice.
- Kirschwasser – Also just called kirsch, this is a clear brandy made from distilled cherries, and it lends beautiful subtle notes of cherry to this recipe. This recipe smells much more boozy than it actually is! There’s just 2 tablespoons of kirsch in the cookies and 2 teaspoons in the glaze. If you don’t have kirsch, you can substitute with clear brandy, clear rum, Grand Marnier, or Amaretto.
- Vanilla extract – For flavor and aroma.
- Candied orange peel – The bright, citrusy flavor of candied orange peel marries beautifully with the nuts and spices in this recipe.
- Unsweetened dried cherries – Dried cherries are my addition to this recipe. Classic Leckerli contains both candied orange and lemon peel. I’m not a big fan of candied lemon peel, so I swapped it out for dried cherries to play up the cherry flavor that kirschwasser brings. Instead of unsweetened dried cherries, you can use dried cranberries or candied lemon peel (make sure to finely chop whatever you use).
- Blanched almonds and skinned hazelnuts – Traditional recipes use both of these nuts; however, you can use all almonds or all hazelnuts if you prefer. Most recipes call for blanched almonds and skinned hazelnuts because the nuts’ peels can have a bitter flavor.
- Fresh orange zest – For a pop of bright citrus flavor.
Glaze Ingredients:
- Powdered sugar – This is the base of the glaze.
- Kirschwasser – To lace the glaze with cherry notes.
- Water – This is supposed to be a thin glaze (also called a fine glaze), so it just coats the top of the cookies. A touch of water thins out the glaze to the right consistency.
How to Make Basler Läckerli (Leckerli) Cookies
Step 1: Make & Chill the Cookie Dough
- Finely chop the nuts.
- Add the honey, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper to a 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t bring it to a boil.
- Remove from the heat, immediately add the kirschwasser and vanilla, and stir. Be careful, it will bubble up a bit. Stir in the candied orange peel, cherries, almonds, hazelnuts, and orange zest.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir until it combines to form a dough. The mixture may look dry at first, but it will come together as you work it. It can be helpful to mix the dough with your hands, just make sure it’s not too hot (or wear food-grade gloves).
- Transfer the dough to an 8 by 8-inch baking dish lined with 2 pieces of parchment paper. Wet your fingers and spread the dough evenly into the dish (you can also use a thin metal spatula that’s dipped in water to spread out the dough). Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate at least 12 hours (or up to 24 hours).
Step 2: Bake the Cookie Bars
Let the cookie dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. During this time, preheat the oven to 400F.
Remove the foil cover and bake until the cookie bars are golden on top and just starting to brown along the outside. The top should look dry and puffed, but be soft when you touch it. This takes about 15 to 17 minutes.
Step 3: Glaze the Cookie Bars
- As soon as the cookie bars are out of the oven, make the glaze. To do so, add all ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Let the cookie bars cool for 5 minutes exactly (not longer!) and then spread the glaze evenly on top.
Step 4: Cut the Cookies
The cookies need to be fairly hot when you cut them because they are difficult to cut when cold. After glazing, let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes more, then use the parchment paper to lift the cookie slab out of the pan and put it onto a cutting board. Cut the cookie slab into 16 squares or small rectangles (1 inch by 2 inches).
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 months. If they start to dry out, add half of an apple, swapping it out for a fresh half once a week.
Tips For Success
- This dough is a bit finicky to work with. There are two things you need to know: 1) it’s more malleable when warm, and 2) it’s very sticky. The solution is to work with the dough quickly before it cools too much and stiffens, and to dampen your hands (or a thin metal spatula) with water to help prevent sticking.
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before glazing. I’ve seen a lot of recipes that add the glaze immediately after these cookies are out of the oven. In my testing, I found that most of the glaze runs off if the cookies are too hot, so a 5 minute cool time is perfect.
- After baking, these cookies firm up as they cool down and become hard to cut. Because of this, it’s best to cut them while they’re still fairly hot out of the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Instead of kirsch, you can use clear brandy or rum, orange-flavored Grand Marnier liqueur, or almond-flavored Amaretto liqueur.
Yes! Letting this cookie dough chill before baking develops the flavors. The sweetness of the honey marries beautifully with the richness of the spices.
But don’t over-do it! For this particular recipe, a period of 12 hours in the fridge works well, or you can go up to 24 hours. In my recipe testing, I found that a chill time of longer than 24 hours caused the dough to dry out a bit too much.
If You Like Spiced Christmas Cookies, You’ll Also Love These Recipes
- Classic Gingersnap Cookies – This is an easy, no-fail recipe for the crunchy little spiced cookies that satisfyingly snap when you break them.
- Tom and Jerry Drink – A vintage Christmas cocktail, this is warmly spiced like eggnog – but better!
- Mincemeat Tarts – This delicious British Christmas treat is a classic for good reason; it embodies the warm flavor and aroma of Christmas.
- Castagnelle – These Italian Christmas cookies feature the flavors of toasted almond and bright orange front and center, and are laced with cinnamon along with a hint of cocoa and coffee.
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Leckerli Cookies Recipe (Basler Läckerli)
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Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons kirschwasser see Notes for substitutes
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup finely chopped candied orange peel
- 1/4 cup finely chopped unsweetened dried cherries or cranberries or more candied citrus peel; optional
- 1/3 cup finely chopped blanched almonds see Notes
- 1/3 cup finely chopped skinned hazelnuts see Notes
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
Glaze:
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons kirschwasser
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough:
- Line an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper so the paper hangs over the edges and you can use it to remove the cookies later.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add the honey, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper to a 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t bring it to a boil.
- Remove from the heat, immediately add the kirschwasser and vanilla, and stir. Be careful, it will bubble up a bit.
- Stir in the candied orange peel, cherries, almonds, hazelnuts, and orange zest.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir until it combines to form a dough. The mixture may look dry at first, but it will come together as you work it. It can be helpful to mix the dough with your hands, just make sure it’s not too hot (or wear food-grade gloves).
- Transfer the dough to the prepared dish. Wet your fingers and spread the dough evenly into the dish (you can also use a thin metal spatula that’s dipped in water to spread out the dough).
Chill:
- Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate at least 12 hours (or up to 24 hours).
Bake:
- Let the cookie dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. During this time, preheat the oven to 400F.
- Remove the foil cover and bake until the cookie bars are golden on top and just starting to brown along the outside. The top should look dry and puffed, but be soft when you touch it. This takes about 15 to 17 minutes.
Glaze:
- As soon as the cookie bars are out of the oven, make the glaze. To do so, add all ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Let the cookie bars cool for 5 minutes exactly (not longer!) and then spread the glaze evenly on top.
Cut:
- The cookies need to be fairly hot when you cut them because they are difficult to cut when cold. After glazing, let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes more, then use the parchment paper to lift the cookie slab out of the pan and put it onto a cutting board. Cut the cookie slab into 16 squares or small rectangles (1 inch by 2 inches).
Serve and Store:
- Let the cookies cool and allow the glaze to set before serving or storing in an airtight container at room temperature. For the best flavor and texture, if possible, wait at least a couple days after they're made to serve them.
Notes
- Storage: Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 months. If they start to dry out, add half of an apple, swapping it out for a fresh half once a week.
- Kirschwasser Substitutes: Instead of kirsch, you can use any clear brandy or rum, orange-flavored Grand Marnier liqueur, or almond-flavored Amaretto liqueur.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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