INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PASTRY
nutmeg to taste
ΒΌ cup of caster sugar
ΒΌ cup of molasses or honey
ΒΌ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
Β½ cup unsalted butter (100g)
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 cups wheat flour
1 coffeespoon ground clove
1 tsp vanilla essence (5 ml)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
FOR THE GLACES
1 egg white
1 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
PREPARATION
dough:
In a bowl add the egg, butter, honey, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, clove, vanilla essence and freshly ground nutmeg to taste, stir everything with a spoon until you get a homogeneous mass.
Gradually start adding the flour, mixing it slowly so it doesn't bubble. At this point, also add the baking soda.
Continue adding the flour and stirring until it becomes too heavy to stir with a spoon.
When the dough reaches the correct point, similar to that of a bread loaf, buttery but soft and not sticky to the hands, stop adding flour.
Place a plastic wrap under the table and separate a piece of dough, start opening it until it is about 1 cm high, with the help of a rolling pin.
Still wrapped in plastic, place on a hard, flat surface and refrigerate for about 40 minutes.
After this time, remove the dough from the plastic and cut it into the shape you want with a cookie cutter.
To get the most out of the dough, use the cutter closely so that the dough on the side doesn't crack and can be used for the next cut.
Place the cookies carefully in a low baking pan and make a hole on top of them so you can pass the string for the tree or organization later.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180Β° for 15 minutes or until the base is lightly browned.
After this time, remove from the oven and set aside.
for the royal icing
Pour the egg whites into a bowl and whip until foamy, then gradually add the icing sugar, whisking constantly.
Then add the lemon juice and beat until you get a consistent cream like egg whites. Set aside.