Belgian Spice Cookies

 

I realize that it makes absolutely no sense for me to be posting a recipe for spice cookies in June. But sometimes thinking, cooking and eating seasonally-appropriate foods is just so daunting. And sometimes you just want a hearty, soft, spice-filled cookie. 

Last week during a particularly strong heat wave I had split pea soup from Trader Joe's, a piece of whole grain baguette and a spice cookie for dinner. It was delicious and I enjoyed it with a hefty dose of air conditioning. 

If I were a virtuous seasonal blogger, I probably would have swapped the soup for gazpacho, the baguette for tomato focaccia and the spice cookie for a shortbread cookie topped with fresh strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

I guess you can call me a rule-breaker in the blog world. At least I've got a whole plate of these little gems to keep me company.

Belgian Spice Cookies 

Adapted slightly from Epicurious.com 

Ingredients

*1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*1/2 cup whole wheat flour
*1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
*1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
*1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 1/4 cups brown sugar
*1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
*1 large egg

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
*Combine the flour, whole wheat flour, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
*With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in egg and beat until just combined.
*Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until just combined. Mixture may be crumbly but should hold together when pressed together with your fingers.
*Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
*Roll dough out into 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into circles with a round cookie cutter or the mouth of a large glass.
*Transfer cookies to a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store cookies in an airtight container until ready to eat.

Happy Baking!

Madison