Lembas Bread

Ingredients

2½ cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. honey
⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Heat oven to 425° F.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer (not necessary but easier).

Cut butter into small cubes and mix until fine granules form. This is easiest with an electric mixer but can but can be done using two knives like making biscuits.

Add the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix thoroughly.

Blend in cream, honey and vanilla with a fork until a nice, thick dough forms.

Roll dough to ½" thickness on a clean counter (you shouldn't need flour). Cut into 3" squares. Move squares onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

With a knife, cut from corner to corner across the squares lightly but do not cut through the squares.

Bake for about 12 minutes until it is set and lightly golden. If they are thicker, they may require a few minutes more baking time.

Footnotes

Let these cool to room temperature before eating. It is best at that temperature and with no toppings such as butter or jam.

They pair very nicely with coffee or tea.

At the holidays, we change this up a bit by substituting egg nog for the cream.

The can in the picture is for scale.