Dutch Spice Cookies
Thin, crispy Nordic-style spice cookies brushed with egg wash and topped with almonds — a popular treat during the Christmas season.
Ingredients
all-purpose flour
2¼ cups
baking powder
½ teaspoon
salt
¼ teaspoon
ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon
freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon
ground ginger
¼ teaspoon
ground allspice (or cloves)
¼ teaspoon
unsalted butter (softened)
8 tablespoons (1 stick)
packed dark brown sugar
1 cup
large egg
1
grated lemon zest
¾ teaspoon
egg white (whisked with 2 teaspoons water until frothy)
1
sliced almonds
1/2 cup
Instructions
1
Whisk
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.
2
Using
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the lemon zest. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Gather the dough into a ball, then divide in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.
3
PREHEAT
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4
WORKING
Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out diamonds (or other shapes) and arrange on the prepared baking sheet about 1.5 inches apart. Re-roll the scraps. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the cookies with the egg wash. Press a few almond slices into the center of each cookie.
5
BAKE
Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned and the almonds are golden. (The cookies will crisp as they cool.) Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
