German Christmas cookies

Ingredients

• 300 g flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 0.5 tsp ground cloves
• 0.5 tsp anise seeds (lightly crushed)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 80 g liquid honey
• 80 g light brown sugar
• 1 egg (M)
• For the icing: 150 g powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tbsp milk
• Optional: sugar pearls or colored sprinkles for decoration

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 175°C (conventional heat). Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the honey and the brown sugar and stir until everything has dissolved. Let this mixture cool for 10 minutes.In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ground cloves, anise seeds and a pinch of salt. Stir well so the spices are evenly distributed.Beat the egg and add it, together with the cooled butter mixture, to the dry ingredients. Knead into a cohesive, pliable dough. It may be slightly sticky.Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This firms up the dough and makes it easier to work with.Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 4 to 5 mm. Cut cookies with Christmas cookie cutters of your choice, such as stars or Christmas trees.Place the cut cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave about 1 cm of space between the cookies, as they will spread slightly.Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes in the middle of the oven until they turn light golden. Note: they will still feel soft when you remove them, but will crisp up as they cool.Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.Meanwhile, make the icing: mix the powdered sugar with one tablespoon of milk to a smooth, thick icing. Spread the icing over the cooled cookies or decorate them to taste with sugar pearls or colored sprinkles.Allow the icing to set completely before serving or packing the cookies. Store them in an airtight tin; they'll stay crisp for at least a week.