Adapted from multiple recipes and heavily modified.

Servings: 40 (makes about 40 cookies)

Ingredients

Cookies

• 85 g (6 T) unsalted butter
• 80 g brown sugar
• 114 g molasses
• 350 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g dark rye flour
• 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t ground anise
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t ground cloves
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 1/2 t ground nutmeg
• 1/2 t ground allspice
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature

Icing

• 130 g confectioner's sugar
• spray oil to get sugar to stick

Directions

Assemble Cookies

• In a small (2-quart/2-liter) saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the brown sugar and molasses, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• Add spices and cook until butter has browned.

• Remove from the heat and let cool until just warm to the touch.

• In a large bowl mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt until combined

• Add cooled butter mixture to large bowl with flour and mix until crumbly. Add room-temperature beaten eggs and knead with hands to form a soft, uniform dough. Continue kneading until a shiny pliable ball is formed

• Divide dough in half (each should weigh around 400 g) and form two 4 cm diameter logs. Tightly wrap in parchment paper, tucking in the ends of the wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Bake Cookies

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a pan with parchment paper.

• Slice refrigerated log into 1.5 cm slices and roll each slice into ball and place on prepared sheet (with 2 cm spacing)

• Bake for 15 minutes

• Let rest on the sheet pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Powder Cookies

• When completely cooled, spray cookies with a very light coat of neutral oil (canola or similar) and coat with confectioner's sugar by sifting. [The neutral oil will help the sugar to stick.]