Honey Gingerbread Cookies for Cut-Outs: Cook the Dough First and Skip the Weeks of Waiting in a Tin

Instructions

1. Cook the base: Put the honey, sugar, salt and gingerbread spice in a pot. Bring to a boil, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved.

2. Add the baking soda: When the mixture starts to boil, take it off the heat immediately. Stir in the 2 teaspoons baking soda. Careful: the mixture will foam up a lot and turn paler.

3. Cool with butter: Add the cold butter in pieces to the hot foam and stir until it melts. This also cools the mixture faster.

4. Eggs (watch the temperature): Check the temperature of the mixture. It must be below 140°F (60°C), warm to the touch but not hot. Only then stir in the whole eggs so they do not scramble.

5. Add the flour: Sift 5 1/2 cups (700 g) of flour into the liquid. Stir well with a wooden spoon until you have a cohesive but still sticky dough.

6. Knead: Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup (100 g) of flour on your work surface. Turn the dough out onto it and knead briefly, until smooth and no longer sticking to your hands.

7. Chill: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap (tip: divide it into 4 pieces so it chills faster). Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 30 minutes.

8. Cut: Roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Cut out shapes. This recipe is also great for large shapes (about 4 inches / 10 cm).

9. Bake: Bake on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper in an oven heated to 350°F (180°C) (conventional setting) for about 10 to 12 minutes.

10. Flat-surface trick: As soon as you take the baking sheet out of the oven, while the cookies are still hot, gently press them with a flat object, such as the bottom of a glass baking dish. The surface will level out beautifully. Let cool, then decorate.