Basler Läckerli

Name: Basler Läckerli
Yield: 48
Cuisine: Swiss
Ingredients: 225g honey; 150g castor sugar; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; Pinch ground cloves; 40g candied orange peel, finely chopped; 40g candied lemon peel, finely chopped; 120g almond meal; 1/2 lemon; 30ml kirsch; 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting; 3/4 teaspoon baking powder; 75g icing sugar; 1 tablespoon strained lemon juice

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
150g castor sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
40g candied orange peel, finely chopped
40g candied lemon peel, finely chopped
120g almond meal
½ lemon
30ml kirsch
250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
¾ teaspoon baking powder
75g icing sugar
1 tablespoon strained lemon juice

Method

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.
Remove from heat and stir in orange and lemon peel and almond meal and grate in the lemon zest.
Stir in kirsch, then combined flour and baking powder.
Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead to form a soft dough.
Place dough between 2 large sheets of baking paper and press and roll into a rectangle about 5mm thick.
Transfer to a large baking tray and remove the top sheet of baking paper. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 220°C.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until well coloured.
Meanwhile, combine icing sugar and lemon juice to form a glaze.
Remove läckerli from the oven, immediately pour the glaze over it and brush it out to the edges.
Lift it (on the sheet of baking paper) onto a wire rack to cool.
Once cool, trim crisp edges (reserving these for snacks!) and cut into pieces about 5 x 3cm.
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

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Just back from the most amazing trip to Emilia-Romagna with Roberta. Not only the home of Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano & Balsamic Vinegar, but scenery to die for and more quaint and exciting restaurants and cafés than you ever imagined. And Roberta is just the person to help you discover and enjoy them! Her knowledge of the history of the region and its wonderful cuisine know no bounds and all added to the excitement of the trip. It was faultless - well organized and lots of fun!

Wow, what a tour – I learned so much! Awesome fun traveling through Emilia-Romagna experiencing first hand some of the produce I've worked with over the last couple of years cooking with Roberta's recipe kits – the family are reaping the benefits now. If you're thinking of joining Roberta in future years get ready for an amazing experience.

My wife and I recently joined Roberta's Emilia-Romagna tour. We enjoyed all the temptations offered and learned a lot about that part of Italy, especially its food and wine culture. What was most impressive was Roberta's local knowledge of people and places. The planning and effort she put into making the whole experience seem effortless was remarkable.

Our tour with Roberta through Emilia-Romagna was the highlight of the year. Good company, gorgeous palazzi and great food. What more could one ask for? Roberta's enthusiasm and knowledge made this a once in a lifetime experience through an extraordinary, diverse and very special region.