Spiced Shortbread Cutouts

This is easily the best cookie recipe I have ever used. It is a bit labor intensive, it is not an "easy" recipe, but it comes out perfection. The only thing that I sometimes do is add more spices because I like my life to be spicy.


Spiced Shortbread Cookie Cutouts:

3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 sticks butter
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer util pale and fluffy. Next, beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speet to low. Add flour mixture gradually until well combined.

3. Shape dough into two disks. Wrap both in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. (at least 1 hour)

4. Roll out dough. (This is very hard to do the first time...be patient) Cut into desired shapes and place on a parchment lined baking pan. Place the cookies in the refrigerator to cool on trays for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. By the time the oven has come to temperature the cookies will be well chilled. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cookies are done when they are slightly browned on the edges. Remove to a rack to cool.

Vanilla Glaze:
( makes 1 cup, enough to glaze one recipe of cookies above)

3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

1. Whisk all ingredients together. Sometimes I will add spices to the glaze too.

2. Dip cookies in the glaze or use a small spoon to spread the glaze on each one. let cookies rest on a cooling rack to allow the glaze to drip down and so all sides dry. It does take a long time for the glaze to dry, several hours. Glazing is a good activity to do before you go to bed, then you and the cookies rest at the same time.