Gingerbread Cookies with Juniper Glaze

The little dragons look forward to decorating holiday cookies all year and everyone looks forward to eating them!

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp of half and half
• 2 tbsp of juniper berries
• 1/2 lb of powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of ground ginger
• 1 tsp of ground allspice
• 2 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour*
• 1 cup of unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup of golden brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of light molasses

Preparation

1. Put half and half and juniper berries in a small pot. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least five hours.
2. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Mix in molasses. Add in dry ingredients and mix into a dough.
3. Separate the dough into four balls of roughly equal size. Flatten each into a disk, wrap with wax paper, and chill for 2+ hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Roll out a disc of dough to 1/8″ thick. Stamp out shapes with cookie cutters and transfer them to the prepped baking sheet. Form scraps into a ball, roll out and stamp again.
6. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 2-3 minutes before removing. Let cool completely before glazing.
7. Strain half and half and discard the juniper berries. Whisk together with powdered sugar until a smooth white glaze is formed.
8. Glaze cookies with a soft brush. Sprinkle with sugar or add non-pareils. Let glaze set completely before storing.

Notes

*You can use regular flour but the flavor will be milder and lack the rustic wholesomeness of whole wheat flour. Also, the final baked color will be lighter.

Based on this recipe from Epicurious.