My grandmother used to make these every year for the Holidays. I also make them. They're very different from any of the other cookies that I make: fragrant with lots of spices ~ and a drop of brandy in the center of each one.
They should really "age" for a few days first, but that makes them great for shipping or adding to cookie baskets. They're a small, harder cookie, and perfect to dip into a cup of coffee ** |
1/2 cup molasses ………………………………................ 1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter ………………………..........….. 4 cups flour
3/4 cup white sugar ……………………………............…. 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon ……………………...........…….. 1-1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda ………………….........… 1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp EACH allspice AND nutmeg AND cloves AND ginger (all ground)
1/2 teaspoon salt …………………………….............……. 2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp anise extract ~ OR ~ finely ground fresh star anise (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar for dusting …………….......... about 1/2 cup brandy
***
In a heavy 1 to 1-1/2 quart pot, combine molasses, honey, and butter. Put pot over low heat, stirring often until butter has melted, all ingredients are completely combined, and the mixture is creamy. Do not boil. Remove pot from the heat, pour mixture into a large bowl ~ set aside and allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Stir in eggs and anise extract.
While mixture is cooling, sift together flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, black pepper, and salt in separate bowl. When the molasses mixture has reached room temperature, stir in eggs and anise extract. With a large wooden spoon, gradually stir in sifted dry ingredients until everything is thoroughly combined (the dough will be a stiff dough by this point). Chill dough in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours (or overnight).
After dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 325. Grease several baking sheets (or parchment paper). Roll the dough into small balls (about ½” ~ or use small melon baller). Place balls on prepared baking sheets, at least 1” apart (to allow for spreading). Put one (1) drop of brandy in the center of each cookie.
Bake cookies in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until cookies have lost their shiny look & are slightly firm to the touch (but still soft). The cookies may have some small cracks as well. Using a thin spatula to remove the cookies from the baking sheet, move them to a rack to cool. Once cookies have cooled completely, roll each cookie in sifted powdered sugar to coat thoroughly.
Store in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers at room temperature. Allow the cookies to “age” at least 24 hrs before serving (a few days to a week is even better). If desired, roll cookies in confectioners’ sugar to coat them once more before serving. Makes about 10 dozen small cookies
If you want, you can pipe on holly and/or leaves, on top of the cooled and powder sugar-coated cookies. I used a tube of decorator icing ~ dots of red frosting or stick on tiny cinnamon candies with a dab of frosting.