Lebkuchen recipes are many and diverse—some are flourless, made with almond and hazelnut meal; some are made in bar form and others in cookie form; some are glazed with chocolate and others with a thin lemon glaze. This recipe is based on one given to us by the president and CEO of our publishing house, Carolyn Reidy, whose mother, Mildred Kroll, was a prolific cookie baker. We like to age the dough for up to two months before baking to allow the flavors to develop (the sugar and honey keep the egg from spoiling). After baking, these resilient cookies can be stored in an airtight container for at least a month more.

Heat in a large heavy saucepan until runny:

Remove from the heat and stir in until melted:

Transfer to a large bowl and stir in:

Whisk together in a medium bowl:

Add the flour mixture to the honey mixture and stir just until combined. Add:

Stir until the dough is smooth. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 24 hours or up to 1 month.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 13 × 9 × 2-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper so it extends over the 2 long sides.

Firmly press the dough into the prepared pan to form a smooth, even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean, about 30 minutes. While the lebkuchen is still warm, spread evenly over the top:

Mark into bars by cutting into the lebkuchen about ¼ inch deep with a knife. Decorate, if desired, by placing in the center of each bar:

And arrange around each cherry:

Let stand in the pan on a rack until completely cool and the icing is set. Using the overhanging parchment as handles, transfer to a cutting board. Cut into bars. If possible, let the cookies age for at least 2 weeks to allow the spices to ripen. Lebkuchen will keep for months in an airtight container.