Holiday cookies for decorating the Christmas tree

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

• 100 g softened butter
• 100 g soft dark sugar
• 300 g of wheat flour, plus a little more for dusting
• A pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1-2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 large beaten country eggs
• 4 tbsp. l. natural honey

For glaze and finishing:

• 300g instant royal icing mix (prepare according to package instructions)
• 3 tablespoons of water
• Gold and silver sugar balls or sprinkles
• Floral tape or string to hang the cookies
• Additional equipment: set of Christmas cookie cutters

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
   
   Place the butter and sugar in a clean bowl and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture turns pale. Place the mixture in the bowl of a food processor and add the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and ground black pepper. Whisk until smooth.
   
   While the food processor is running, gradually whisk in the eggs and honey through the hole in the lid to form a dough (you may not need all the liquid if the dough begins to form a ball early). If the dough is too dry, add a little water. If the dough is too runny, add a little flour.
2. Divide the dough in half. Wrap half of the dough in plastic wrap, place it in a freezer bag, and refrigerate. Place the other half of the dough on a floured work surface.
   
   Roll the dough out with a rolling pin into an oval shape about 0.5 cm thick. Use Christmas cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the dough. Roll out the remaining dough and cut out more shapes until you run out.
3. Remove the other half of the dough from the refrigerator and repeat the same steps. Using the pointed end of a frosting tip, cut a hole in the top of each cookie (you can then thread a ribbon or string through it to hang it).
   
   Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with reusable silicone parchment and bake for 20 minutes, or until set and golden brown. Transfer the decorations to a wire rack to cool.
4. Prepare the glaze, according to package directions (the icing should be thin enough to spread in a thick layer, but not runny). Spoon the icing over the cookies (use the tip of the spoon to pour the icing onto the cookies, then smooth it out with the back of the spoon).
   
   Sprinkle with gold or silver beads and press gently into the icing. Cut short pieces of ribbon and thread through the hole in the cookie. Hang decorations where desired.