Basler Läckerli

Like Basler Läckerli? Discover more regional specialties on my small group food & wine tour of Switzerland!
Basler Läckerli

Basler läckerli, delicious hard spice biscuits, are a specialty of the Swiss canton of Basel. Basler läckerli is sometimes made with hazelnuts instead of almonds and some recipes use either just orange peel or just lemon peel, so feel free to substitute if you don’t have everything on hand. My recipe is inspired by one in the Basel Country Women’s Cookbook and although it’s cross-cultural, I love it with a glass of Oloroso Sherry like the 15 year old from El Maestro Sierra. Basler läckerli is very easy to assemble – I find the trickiest part is rolling it into a more or less even rectangle. If it ends up a bit of an odd shape, I trim it and roll the off cuts back into place – once it’s cooked, you can cut off any irregular edges and save those for cook’s snacks. See video below for highlights of my small-group Swiss food & wine tour where you’ll discover more Swiss regional specialties. Äguete!

Makes about 48 pieces

Ingredients
  • 225g honey (8oz)
  • 150g castor sugar (5⅓oz)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (6g/⅕oz)
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pinch ground cloves
  • 40g candied orange peel, finely chopped (1½oz)
  • 40g candied lemon peel, finely chopped (1½oz)
  • 120g almond meal (4¼oz)
  • ½ lemon
  • 30ml kirsch (1½ tablespoons)
  • 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting (9oz)
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder (3g/⅒oz)
  • 75g icing sugar (2⅔oz)
  • 1 tablespoon strained lemon juice (20ml)
Method
  1. Place honey, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a saucepan over a low heat and warm for a few minutes, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and it’s all well combined.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in orange and lemon peel and almond meal and grate in the lemon zest.
  3. Stir in kirsch, then combined flour and baking powder.
  4. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead to form a soft dough.
  5. Place dough between 2 large sheets of baking paper and press and roll into a rectangle about 5mm (⅕″) thick.
  6. Transfer to a large baking tray and remove the top sheet of baking paper. Set aside.
  7. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).
  8. Bake for about 10 minutes, until well coloured.
  9. Meanwhile, combine icing sugar and lemon juice to form a glaze.
  10. Remove läckerli from the oven, immediately pour the glaze over it and brush it out to the edges.
  11. Lift it (on the sheet of baking paper) onto a wire rack to cool.
  12. Once cool, trim crisp edges (reserving these for snacks!) and cut into pieces about 5cm x 3cm (2″ x 1″).
  13. Store Basler läckerli in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, with baking paper between the layers.
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Swiss Food & Wine Tour Highlights

What Other Travellers Say

Andrea (Adelaide, SA, Aus)
Andrea (Adelaide, SA, Aus)
Switzerland with Roberta was all I hoped and expected – she takes control of all the things I no longer want to decide. Roberta plans the itinerary to such an amazing extent – the food choices and venues always showcase the region we’re in and never disappoint. The small group works extremely well, with enough downtime to do your own thing but beautifully combined with an itinerary which encompasses all the things you want to see and more. My trip to Switzerland was my second adventure with Roberta – my first was Emilia-Romagna and I’ve already booked my next one to Scotland.
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
I had such a blast on the Swiss food and wine tour with Roberta. As a solo traveller, I loved the friendly small group vibe and the fact that all meals and transport were taken care of. I got to explore amazing villages and wineries and cheese producers that I would have missed if I'd been travelling on my own. It was so much fun that I've already booked my next tour with Roberta.
Teri (Pokolbin, NSW, Aus)
Teri (Pokolbin, NSW, Aus)
Thank you Roberta for organising such a wonderful Swiss tour! It felt like going from gem to gem – and your knowledge and passion for the places we visited and the people you introduced us to was evident throughout. Starting in the most charming village and finishing at such a grand and beautiful location, I remember thinking at our farewell lunch: “it doesn’t get much better than this!” Thank you, and I am already looking forward to my next trip with you.
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