Baseler Leckerli Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two cookie sheets. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Heat the honey in a medium saucepan over low heat until liquid. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, both almonds, and the candied lemon and orange peel.

Remove from the heat. Mix in the dry ingredients and kirsch. Shape the warm mixture into a ball and knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. If it is sticky, add more flour. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Use a sharp knife to cut into 2-inch rectangles.

Place the rectangles closely together on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned, rotating the sheets halfway through for even baking. Transfer the cookies to racks and let cool to warm.

For Glaze: Mix the confectioners' sugar with the water in a small bowl. Add lemon juice and rum to make a pouring consistency. Add more water if needed. Thinly brush the glaze on the hot cookies and let cool completely.