Glazed Gingerbread Shortbreads

Four dozen cookies

Cookies:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2/3 cup cornstarch

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• 2 Tbsp ground ginger

• 1 ½ Tbsp cinnamon

• 2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp ground cloves

• 1 tsp ground allspice

• Zest of one large orange

• 1 lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

Glaze:

• 1 ½ cups confectionary sugar

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• Juice of the one large orange

• 1 tsp vanilla paste

• 1 Tbsp warm water

1)     Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and spices. Whisk in the orange zest. Set aside.

2)     In a standing mixer, cream together the four sticks of butter and the granulated sugar (about 3-4 minutes).

3)     With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry mix until the dough begins to gather.

4)     Turn the dough onto a countertop, gather into a ball and cut into three equal portions.  Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill two hours (preferably overnight).

5)     When getting ready to bake, let the dough sit on the counter 30 minutes to bring to room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line four baking sheets with parchment.

6)     Roll the first portion of dough to a thickness of ¼ inch.  Use a 2 ½” cookie cutter (I prefer a snowflake) dipped in flour and gently place no more than one dozen cookies on a tray to bake.  Gather the scraps together and add to the second portion when rolling out to cut.

7)     Dip a cookie press (see photograph) in flour and press down onto each cookie to imprint with the design.

8)     Bake the cookies for five minutes, rotate the pan, and then bake for five minutes more until the edges are just beginning to brown.

9)     Let the cookies cool on the pan for five minutes and then place them on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

10)  Whisk together the confectionary sugar and ginger for the glaze, then whisk in the butter, juice, vanilla paste and 1 Tbsp water (adding more water only if necessary).  You want a glaze that you can easily paint on with a pastry brush.

11)  Paint each cookie with the glaze and let sit for another 15 minutes to harden the glaze.