Orange Clove Cookies

Directions

• In a bowl, using a mixer, cream the butter, honey, molasses, vanilla, and salt on medium speed, around a minute or so.
• Add the spices and orange zest, beat for 10 seconds to incorporate.
• Gradually stir in the flour, mixing with a whisk first then with a spoon, until the dough forms; it will be soft and pliable and a tad of sticky. You can always adjust the consistency by dusting with a bit flour or adding a few drops of water or milk – if it’s too tough. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• If you are using a cookie stamp, shape a small piece of dough (1 tsp to 1 tbsp.) into a ball. Now. normally it’s recommended to roll the dough into the sugar as it will help with releasing the stamped cookie. I did not want to use extra sugar, so I opted for dusting with a bit flour, both the dough ball and the cookie stamp.
• Press the flour-dusted stamp over a ball of dough also dusted with flour, then firmly press down on the dough, until it flattens and spreads out all the way to the edge of the stamp. Carefully pull the dough off the stamp and set onto the baking sheet. If you have the uneven edges, use a smaller round cookie cutter to cut the pressed cookie and trim off. Reuse the scraps.
• If you don’t have or don’t want to use stamps, simply roll out the chilled dough and cut it using cookie cutters.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (~175 degrees C). Arrange the cookies on lined sheet(s)
• Bake for about 10-14 minutes (depending on size and your oven) or until edges are browned a little. BUT it is better to slightly underbake them, because they are going to be back in the oven for a few minutes after being glazed.
• In a meantime, in a small bowl make the glaze by whisking together the icing sugar, orange juice, Cointreau, and cloves. If you don’t want to use alcohol, substitute more orange juice. Adjust the consistency – it should be quite thick but still a bit runny (Like runny honey)
• When cookies are baked, remove them from the oven and let cook few minutes until easy to handle. Quickly dip a cookie into the glaze or simply pour some glaze over each cookie and return them on the baking sheet. Place back in the oven for 2 minutes and turn the heat and let them stay for another minute and so them remove. This method results in crisp and cracking glaze – beautiful and delicious!
• Cool them completely then transfer to an air-tight container. Enjoy!