Swiss Glazed Gingerbread Cookies: Basler Leckerli

"Leckerli," which is also spelled "Läckerli" and "Läggerli," is from the German verb "lecken," a close cousin to English "(to) lick." This produced the adjective "lecker," meaning, "delicious," which then produced the noun form "Leckerli," with the "li" ending being a common Swiss German dialect diminutive. "Leckerli" can be translated as, "tidbit," and while the standard German word for "tidbit" is "Leckerbissen," the term "Leckerli" is known in many German-speaking regions beyond Switzerland as a kind of "gingerbread spiced cake or cookie" developed in Basel, which is about 80% German speaking. German regions are famous for gingerbread in many forms, including gingerbread houses, gingerbread men and gingerbread horses or other animals. There are various regional names for gingerbread or specific types of gingerbread in German: Lebkuchen (heavily associated with Nuremberg), Printen (strongly associated with Aachen), Lebzelten (primarily used in Bavaria and Austria) and Pfefferkuchen, although there are likely even others. Leckerli are common during the Christmas holiday season. While almost all of the recipes I've seen for Leckerli are virtually the same, one difference is that some recipes add eggs to the dough, but the recipe I've had and used for many years does not use eggs at all. You can add some freshly grated orange or lemon peel to the glaze if you'd like, but that's not typical, although I've done so on occasion, just to add variety.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup candied lemon peel, diced
1/3 cup candied orange peel, diced
(optional) 2 tablespoons Kirsch or a not too sweet cherry brandy*
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup blanched almonds, chopped

Glaze:

3 tablespoons water
(optional) 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange or lemon peel 
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

Heat the honey and sugar in a small sauce pan over low to medium heat and stir until the sugar melts, then remove it from the heat and set aside. In a bowl or mixing bowl mix the flour and baking powder together well. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the fairly cooled honey/sugar mixture, and mix into a dough (it will be thick and heavy). Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes; in the meantime, heat the oven to 350 F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.** Put the dough onto the baking sheet and sprinkle a little flour onto it, and put some flour onto a rolling pin. Roll the dough out in all directions on the baking sheet. You can flour your hands to finalize the dough shape. It's not really a good idea to press the dough up the sides of the baking sheet like a pizza, as these edges will become too hard when it bakes. The dough should not be paper thin or very thick, but rather like the thickness of a doubled layer of dough for a typical pie (remember, it will puff up some during baking). Bake the Leckerli for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.*** While the Leckerli bake, in a small sauce pan heat the water (with lemon or orange peel, if using) over low heat, then stir in the powdered sugar. Turn to VERY low heat and let cook just below a simmer for about 5 or 6 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking or scorching. Remove the Leckerli from the oven and cut into rectangles, squares or diamond shapes. I spoon the glaze over the top of the Leckerli, but you can also use a brush to give the tops a coating.        

* "Kirschwasser" (literally German for, "cherry water") is a type of clear, unsweetened cherry brandy common in southwestern Germany and over the border in to the German-speaking areas of Switzerland, which comprise about two-thirds of the Swiss lands. The brandy is also called by the shortened form "Kirsch." It is available in many liquor outlets in the U.S., both in imported and domestic brands. Most cherry brandy is not a substitute for Kirsch(wasser), because it is "usually" sweetened; sometimes, heavily so.

** You can use just about any type of baking sheet or even make the Leckerli round by using a round pizza pan. The thing to remember is, you can use a larger baking sheet than you'll need. The dough doesn't have to fit into every part of the sheet. I used a 17 x 11 baking sheet, and while I didn't measure the actual rolled out dough, it was "probably" about 13 x 11, just to give you an idea. Notice I said "probably" and "about," just to be precise. hahahaha

*** Baking time will naturally depend upon the thickness of the dough, so just check the Leckerli after about 15 minutes to see how things are going, then check again about every 3 minutes. The thing is, you don't want to over bake the Leckerli by much, or some parts will become too hard.
   

WORD HISTORY
Hasp-This noun for a "type of hinged fastener for a door or window," and also "a spindle for yarn," has an uncertain origin, with some connecting it to the Indo European source of words having to do with "taking, seizing, grasping, holding," and a hasp (fastener) uses an inserted pin or lock to secure whatever is being locked, and a spindle "takes" yarn or thread. Others have connected it to the Indo European source of words relating to "bend, arch, crimp," as a hasp is "hinged" (bends/swings/moves back and forth) and it has a hoop or ring (bent metal) through which a pin or locking device is inserted. Even an Old Germanic form is unclear, although forms of the word seem to go well back in history in Germanic languages. Old English (Anglo-Saxon) had "hæpse," and meaning, "fastener," and a verb form, "hæpsian," meaning, "to fasten with a hasp," but in later Old English the noun became "hæsp," with the p and s swapped places. This later became "haspe/hespe," before the modern version. The "spindle for yarn" meaning seems to have developed in the 1300s, perhaps from previous Old Norse speakers in northern England, as Old Norse had "hespa," meaning, "door hook, door latch," but also, "a specific amount of wool or yarn taken from a spindle/reel." In modern times, besides English "hasp," other forms in Germanic languages: German "Haspe" (hasp, fastener), German, Low German, Dutch and West Frisian have "Haspel" (spindle, reel, winch),  Icelandic has "hespa" (clasp, fastener; perhaps also, "spindle/reel," but that meaning may now be antiquated), Danish "haspe" (hasp), Norwegian "hespe" (reel of thread), and Swedish "hasp" (hasp).     

Crockpot Swiss-Style Fondue

Fondue is a famous melted cheese dish from Switzerland, where it is the center of social and familial gatherings, as the melted cheese is served in a large "communal" pot or dish, with each person having a fork to dip bread chunks (or other items, at times) into the melted cheese mixture. Hardcore capitalists will likely never eat fondue again, since it may represent "socialism" to them, but, "let 'em eat cake," to coin a phrase. The popularity of fondue has spread to other parts of the world, including to the United States. If you have a mini slow cooker/crock pot, that would be great for this, but an average size slow cooker is fine (6 to 8 quarts). Of course, if you own a fondue pot, you're set. The thing about slow cookers is, especially the smaller types (often 1.5 or 2 quart sizes in the U.S.), they do not always have more than one heat setting. So, you'll have to make the recipe according to the type of slow cooker you have. Whatever your options, you may still need to use a pan for the basic cooking, which will require you to be very attentive to the cooking process. The preparation "device" and the serving means are the most complicated parts of this dish. I do not own a fondue pot, nor do I own a mini slow cooker, so I used my slow cooker (6 quart), which has two settings, "high" and "low" (hm, very imaginative), and my fondues have come out very well. I'm giving my preparation method and you can determine how you want to proceed for yourself.

There are various regional recipes in Switzerland for fondue, often having to do with the types of cheese used, but in some areas they add mushrooms, while in other areas they add egg yolks. The most common cheeses used are a mixture of Emmentaler* and Gruyère.** There are also non cheese types of fondue, with melted chocolate or hot oil and meat, also having gained in popularity. "Kirschwasser" (literally German for, "cherry water") is a type of clear, unsweetened cherry brandy common in southwestern Germany and in the German-speaking areas of Switzerland. It is also called by the shortened form "Kirsch." It is available in many liquor outlets in the U.S., both in imported and domestic brands. Kirschwasser is important to the taste of the fondue, so do try to use it. Regular cherry brandy is not a substitute, because it is usually sweetened. It is worth your while to buy a brand of Kirschwasser/Kirsch. Some Swiss actually dip the bread into Kirsch, before dipping it into the fondue. And hey, don't forget to sample the Kirschwasser to make sure you have a good brand, although this might take more than one sample to determine. 

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded Emmentaler cheese
2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
1 clove garlic, halved
1 1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup Kirsch (aka Kirschwasser)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper (black pepper is fine too)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Italian or French bread (better if a day old and not totally fresh)

The Swiss typically rub the cut garlic over the pan they will use to cook the fondue, and then discard the garlic. I put the garlic into the slow cooker with the wine and the lemon juice, which I set on "high." Put the lid on. When the wine begins to bubble, remove the lid, then begin adding handfuls of cheese to the hot wine, stirring constantly, until all of the cheese is melted. Mix the Kirschwasser and the cornstarch together well. Make sure the cheese is still bubbling, as it must be hot in order for the cornstarch to help thicken it. Gradually stir in the cornstarch/Kirschwasser mix. Maintain the heat and allow the fondue to thicken somewhat, which may take a minute or two. It should be thickened and smooth like a sauce, and not runny like soup. Stir in the nutmeg and pepper. Turn the slow cooker down to "low." If you have a mini slow cooker, you can use it for serving, of course, but I simply warm some small dishes and put a ladle of fondue into the warmed dishes for serving. You will need to stir the remaining fondue to keep it from becoming too thick or lumpy (keep the heat on "low"). In Switzerland, the people actually stir the cheese in the communal pot with the bread chucks when they dip. They use long forks for dipping the bread, and of course, they use a fondue pot for serving, kept warm by a little burner or candle. 

* "Emmentaler" (German meaning, "of the Emme valley") is what Americans call "Swiss cheese" (there are many domestic brands in the U.S.), but if you would say to them, "Emmentaler," they would say, "Huh?" The name "Emmentaler," also spelled both "Emmental" and "Emmenthal," in English, never caught on in the U.S., in spite of the large number of German-speaking immigrants to the United States. The neighborhood where I grew up saw a large influx of German immigrants, including my own relatives from Hessen in Germany, from the time around the Civil War until World War One. I believe I've mentioned this here before, but meatpacking companies and sales outlets in the neighborhood were all founded by German immigrants, and the name "Swiss cheese" was NEVER used. Everyone in the neighborhood called the cheese by the German form, "Schweitzer." I was a teenager before I remember hearing the term "Swiss cheese," and then I had to ask exactly what that meant (remember, no Internet back then to look something up with a couple of clicks). One of the bars in the neighborhood was somewhat famous for selling "Schweitzer cheese sandwiches," made with a nice slice of domestic Schweitzer, onion and mustard, on rye bread. In the mid 1960s they charged twenty-five cents for the sandwich. Nowadays, you couldn't even get to smell a sandwich like that for twenty-five cents.

** "Gruyère" is another type of firm whitish to light yellowish cheese produced in Switzerland, more so in the French-speaking areas, but like "Emmentaler," it is more of a national type of cheese, crossing the ethnic/linguistic areas of Switzerland. 

My preference: Italian bread chunks, Swiss fondue and a shot of Kirschwasser, not necessarily in that order ... 

WORD HISTORY:
Found-There are other words of this spelling in English, but this is the word meaning, "to melt (usually of metal), to cast/pour melted metal," and it is distantly related to "gush," a word of Germanic derivation with a form originally in English, but then likely influenced by its relative from Old Norse. It goes back to Indo European "gheud," which meant, "to pour, to let flow." Its Latin offspring had the altered beginning to "fundere," which meant, "to pour, to melt, to pour out melted substances." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "fondre," with the same general meanings. This was borrowed into English in the second half of the 1300s.