St. Nicholas Cookies

Recipe of the Month

This is a great gingerbread man type of recipe. The cookies are flavorful and crisp, but won't chip a tooth on the first bite. Also, a great dunking cookie (we've tried both milk and hot chocolate).
 

Speculaas Koekjes (Dutch Spice Cookies)

2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt, scant
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger

Cream butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix, adding enough flour to form a stiff dough. Press well chilled dough into cookie boards or chill for 1 hour, roll out and cut into shapes.* Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8 - 12 minutes, or until light brown. Decorate as desired when cool. Store in sealed container to retain crispness.

* This recipe works well with cookie stamps. Or shape into a cylinder of desired size and chill thoroughly in a covered container. Slice and bake as above. Makes approximately 6 dozen.

For preschool I halved the recipe, but used 1 whole egg. The dough was a little soft, but after an hour in the fridge it was a good consistency to make cut out cookies. The halved recipe made 2 dozen medium-sized rocking horses and 2 dozen small cookies.