Elisen Gingerbread

For the dough: Whisk the egg yolks with 1/2 the brown sugar, the vanilla sugar, spices and extracts for about 2 minutes, until foamy. Combine the sifted flour and baking powder then mix into the egg yolk mixture along with the almonds, hazelnuts and candied lemon peel.

Whip the egg whites until stiff, sprinkling in the remaining sugar. Fold into the egg yolk mixture, spread over the wafers and smooth the surface with a wet knife.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the cookies on the prepared pan and let dry for 2 hours. Bake in a preheated oven (150°C) (approximately 300°F) for 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

For the glazes: Sift the powdered sugar. Mix with 1-2 tablespoons hot water and stir until smooth. Spread over 1/3 of the warm cookies. Transfer the remaining glaze to a small saucepan, add the cornstarch and cook over low heat until lightly caramelized. Stir in 150 ml (approximately 2/3 cup) hot water, bring to a boil then reduce the heat and stir for 2 minutes over low heat. Let cool slightly then spread very thinly over another 1/3 of the cookies.