Juniper berries add a wintery, almost piney flavor. They're available in the spice section of many supermarkets and online from deandeluca.com.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 64 cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
Glaze and decoration
Preparation
For cookies:
Step 1
Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in molasses. Beat in dry ingredients. Gather dough; divide into 4 pieces. Shape into disks. Wrap; chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Roll out 1 dough disk to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 3 1/2-inch cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to sheet. Gather scraps; chill.
Step 3
Bake cookies until almost firm in center, 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 2 minutes, then cool on racks. Repeat, using all dough. Do ahead Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.
For glaze and decoration:
Step 4
Bring first 2 ingredients to simmer. Cover; chill 5 hours. Strain. Place powdered sugar in bowl. Whisk in half and half by spoonfuls until glaze is spreadable. Frost cookies; decorate. Let stand until glaze sets. Do ahead Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
