These are definitely not my grandmother's (or mother's) lebkuchen, which had both honey and molasses, are rolled out and cut, and have a cooked glaze. I still make them every year for my extended family, but I don't look forward to it, because the sticky dough is hard to roll out even when cold and the glaze is a pain to keep the right consistency. I do love them, though, and if I manage to squirrel some away in a cool place, they are still good (make that better) a month or more later--I do take the apple out long before that, so it doesn't grow mold and ruin the cookies. I'm looking forward to trying this recipe, though I might still have to make the "traditional" ones, so that I don't have to listen to howling protests about tradition! I found your fight over icing for spice cake interesting, Mary Jane. My first reaction was a big NO for vanilla nor chocolate, though I suppose I would like them if I tried them. Cream cheese frosting, penuche frosting, or browned butter frosting all sound better to me for spice cake, though. Too funny Lillabit! The argument was well over 20 years ago and I bet both Elaine and I would love cream cheese or browned butter frosting now. :) ~ MaryJane

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