Grandmother's Lebkuchen

Contributed by Just Lee, who says:

This recipe does not have any notes on yield. It makes a boatload and can easily be halved. The dough can be chilled and baked several days later. Our family was of the opinion that they were best if not eaten freshly baked, but allowed to age several days. If they get hard, dunk in coffee or milk.

1. 1 c sugar 1/2 c lard or Crisco 2 C dark molasses 1/2 c hot water Mix in saucepan and boil 3 minutes. Cool.
2. Add: 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cloves 1 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 TB ground walnuts (optional) 2 tsp baking soda 2 eggs 1 1/2 tsp anise flavoring
3. Flour to stiffen - 6+ cups, it should be very stiff.
4. Mix thoroughly. Chill in refrigerator, roll out to 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickness, cut.
5. Bake 12-15 min at 375F.
6. Frost when still warm and the frosting will melt into the cookie and form a glaze.

Frosting

Contributed by Just Lee, to go with OMG Cranberry Bars

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 TB butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 TB orange zest
• 2 oz white chocolate

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter, blend in vanilla, stir in orange zest.
2. Gradually beat in sugar. Spread evenly over the cooled bar.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
4. Spoon the melted chocolate into a ziplock bag. Make a tiny snip in the corner of the bag, drizzle melted chocolate over the frosted bar. Cut the bars into desired size.

OMG Cranberry Bars

(very similar to Starbuck's Cranberry Bliss Bars)

Contributed by Just Lee, who reports:

The chunks of chocolate are larger and more pronounced in the Starbucks version. One version of the recipe I found used orange extract instead of vanilla and orange zest in the frosting. They aren't exact but these are close enough to satisfy my cravings and will make lovely holiday gifts or to take to a party. Enjoy!

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9"x13" pan or line with parchment.

• 1 cup butter (or margarine or 1 stick of each) softened
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

2. Cream the butter and sugar, add in eggs and vanilla, beat until fluffy.

3. In a separate bowl stir together:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp dried ginger

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Mix until fully combined.

4. Stir in by hand:

• 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or 2 squares white chocolate, chopped)
• 1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger

5. Spread batter evenly in pan corners. Bake at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes. Top should be evenly browned and edges will start to pull away from pan when done. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Remove parchment. I found at this point it was easiest to put the finished bar on a cookie sheet with no sides. Trim a tiny slice of the crust from the edges, if desired.

6. Use Frosting.

7. Cutting the pan into 4 evenly spaced cuts each direction and then diagonally across each bar will yield 32 "three-bite" servings. To make neater cuts, use a knife with a long blade and clean the knife between each cut. (The coffee shop serving is about twice as large.)

8. After cutting, sprinkle with: 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries. (It is easier to cut without cutting through the cranberries on top.) Refrigerate until time to serve. I baked this in a disposable foil pan which sat on an insulated cookie sheet to stabilize it in the oven. It took about 35 minutes to bake but was very evenly done.