bakekrazy

Every year when I was growing up our family would visit my aunts and uncles in the area on Christmas Eve and exchange gifts. I remember going to my Uncle Melvin’s house and always finding these German cookies. They were slightly hard and coated with powdered sugar. Coming from a family named KLAUSS I guess its no surprise that I’m German so I had to make these cookies. Now that I have, I think it’s going to be something I continue to make each year in remembrance of those family gatherings and of my heritage.

1/2 cup molasses
1 1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon anise extract
1 teaspoon ground mace
2 eggs

Coating for cookies;
1 cup of confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons Milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a standing mixer with a paddle, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, molasses and anise extract. In a medium bowl add the flour, baking soda and spices, mix well. In the standing mixer slowly add in the flour mixture to the cream mixture until well incorporated. Refrigerate for a least 1 hour. Lightly grease 3 half sheet pans and using a small scoop make 1″ dough ball and place 2″ apart onto the prepared pans. Bake at 375 for 12 – 14 minutes (tops should look cracked). Cool until slightly warm. With two small bowls mix 3/4 cup of confectioners sugar with milk and vanilla extract in one and place the remaining confectioners sugar in the other. Dip the tops of each cookie with the milk/sugar mixture then roll into the dry confectioners sugar…coat well. Place on a cooling rack until completely cooled.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss