Lebkuchen really benefit from aging so they are perfect for baking a couple of weeks before Christmas and storing them for a week or longer.

Using your cutters, stamp out as many biscuits as you can, lifting them onto the prepared baking sheets with a palette knife. Re-roll the dough remnants and continue stamping out until you have about 35 biscuits. Unfortunately it is pretty difficult to find this outside of Germany and quite expensive if you do so I have used a mix common of ground spices. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare the glaze. Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl until you have a thin and runny glaze. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. In a large saucepan, melt together the butter, honey, treacle, sugar and both citrus zests over a medium heat. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.To decorate, whisk the water into the icing sugar to make a runny glaze. Dip half the stars in the icing then leave to set. For the remaining biscuits, melt the chocolate in a microwave in 1 minute bursts until smooth, then dip in the biscuits to coat. Apart from the spices you will need honey, brown sugar, butter, an egg, flour and ground almonds. The dough is actually really easy to make and a dream to roll out.

Measure the honey and sugar in a mixing bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 second bursts. Stir together vigorously with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves.Lebkuchen are traditionally simply brushed with a simple thin glaze made with icing sugar and lemon. They are usually just left plain or decorated with almond slivers. Heat the honey and butter in a small saucepan over a low heat until melted. Tip into a large mixing bowl and put in the fridge for 5 minutes. Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

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In a saucepan set over a medium heat, melt the honey and butter together until smooth. Set to one side and whisk together the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl. While the mixture is still warm, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, ground spices, bicarb of soda and salt. Stir in the ground almonds and add the egg yolk, then mix together to form a dough. Gently knead until smooth – it should be warm, very soft and slightly greasy.