Lebkuchen Biscuits with Clementine icing

INGREDIENTS:

• 100g salted butter
• 100ml black treacle
• 50ml clear honey
• 25g dark muscovado sugar
• 1tsp ground ginger
• 2tsp mixed spice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 orange
• 250g self-raising flour
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 50g ground almonds
• 1 large egg

FOR THE ICING

• 200g sieved icing sugar
• Zest and juice of 2 clementine’s
• 20g finely chopped pistachio nuts

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / gas 4.
2. Place the butter, black treacle, honey, sugar, ginger and citrus zest into a saucepan and gently heat until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool. 
3. In a mixing bowl sift in the flour, mixed spice, bicarbonate. Stir in the almonds. 
4. Whilst the treacle mix is still warm, pour over the flour, add the egg and using the handle of a wooden spoon bring the mixture together. 
5. Using your hands bring the mixture together to form a dough, gently kneading. 
6. Pop the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes. 
7. Take about 20g of the dough and roll between your hands into a ball. Repeat with more dough making sure to leave a 3-4cm cap between the balls of dough. 
8. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently press the top to flatten a little and bake for 12-15 minutes. 
9. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. 
10. Whilst the biscuits are cooling, make the icing by mixing the sifted icing sugar and the zest and juice of the clementine’s together. 
11. Once the biscuits have cooled either dip or spoon the icing onto the biscuits, top with a sprinkling of pistachio and leave to until the icing has set. Store the biscuits in an airtight container for a couple of weeks.