Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Glazed Spice Cookies

Round Spice Cookies with a Brushed-on Powdered sugar/lemon glaze, photographed on a green plate shaped like a holly leaf.

Christmas Cookie #7! This time of year, there is nothing better than a spice cookie. Your house smells so good when these are baking and that’s a memory that many have from childhood. When I found this recipe, they looked fairly similar to a Russian teacake. In looking at the ingredients, they do contain two teaspoons of baking soda, which will make for a flatter cookie. I was fine with that but figured I may do some editing later.

As expected, these cookies came out of the oven in perfect little circles and look like a traditional gingersnap. That was fine, but I didn’t want to roll these in powdered sugar. That works better for ball-shaped cookies, but that didn’t feel right here. I thought about dusting them with powdered sugar, but in the end, I wanted to find a glaze that would work.

I ended up using a lemon/powdered sugar glaze that is traditional with lebkuchen. You brush the glaze onto the cookies while they are warm, and they look a little bit like those iced oatmeal cookies that you buy at the store. You need to be careful with the baking, as these can brown on the bottom too much. One batch baked ever so slightly longer, and they are a bit too browned. Even when baked a moment too long, these cookies are fantastic, and the glaze just can’t be beat!

Glazed Spice Cookies
¾ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
⅛ cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon ginger

1 egg white
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon salt

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add the egg and molasses and mix to incorporate. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and ginger. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack

While the cookies are baking, make the glaze: in a small bowl, whisk the egg white, then whisk in the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Once you move the cookies to a wire rack, brush the warm cookies with the glaze. Allow the glaze to set before serving.

Recipe from All She Cooks and glaze recipe from A Beautiful Plate

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