Ingredients:
For the dough: 250 g liquid honey, 100 g fine sugar, 125 g butter, 500 g flour + more for working, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking cocoa, 1 pinch of salt, 2 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1 teaspoon clove powder, ½ teaspoon cardamom powder, ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder, ½ teaspoon anise powder, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 egg
For the royal icing: 250 g powdered sugar, 1 very fresh egg white, 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice (as required)
Besides that: Possibly a cookie cutter, decorating bottle (or piping bag with an opening of approx. 1.5 mm)
Preparation:
For the dough, bring the honey, sugar and butter to the boil in a saucepan while stirring. Then let it cool down. Mix the flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt with the spices. Stir the egg into the honey and butter mixture and then the flour mixture as well. Finally knead everything with your hands to form a smooth dough.
Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge overnight. The next day, take the dough out of the refrigerator at least two hours before baking. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the dough about 0.5 cm thick on a floured work surface. Cut out the desired shapes with a cookie cutter or cut out according to your own ideas with a sharp knife and place on the baking sheet with a little space. Bake the biscuits in the preheated oven for about 10–12 minutes. Then leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
In the meantime, for the royal icing, sieve the powdered sugar into a bowl and mix together with the egg white to a creamy mass. If it is too firm, add 1–2 tablespoons of lemon juice or water. Pour the royal icing into a decorative bottle (or piping bag) and decorate the biscuits with it.