Holiday Orange-Spice Cutouts

By littlefish

Ingredients

• 1/2 c slivered almonds
• 2 c flour
• 3/4 c firm pack dark brown sugar
• 2 t ground ginger
• 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t ground cloves
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 c unsalted butter, room temp
• 1/4 c veg shortening
• 1/4 c dark molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 T fine grated orange zest
• colored sugar crystals, opt
• Confectioners sugar icing (opt)
• 3 c conf sugar
• 2 T milk
• 1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
• food coloring, opt

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

In food processor or blender pulse the almonds finely (not to paste). Add 1/4 c floud & 1/4 c sugar and grind to powder, set aside.
In bowl sift 1 3/4 c flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt & soda; set aside. In large bowl combine butter, shortening & 1/2 sugar. Using electirc mixer high speed beat til light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg & zest and beat til light & fluffy. Add flour mix and nut mix and beat low speed just til incorporated. Gather into ball then diving in half. Form each half into flat disk. Warp separately in waxed paper and chill until firm (1 hour - overnight).
Preheat oven 350*. Generously butter baking sheets. Flour 1 disk and place between 2 sheet waxed paper. Roll out 1/4" thick. Usining cookie cutters, cut out cookies. Transfer to prepared sheets spacing 1/2" apart. sprinkle with sugar crystal, if desired. Pat scarp into disk and chill.
Bake until firm on edges and brown on bottom, about 10 min. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Repeat with rest dough.

If did not used sugar crystals, top cooled cookies with conf sugar icing if desired. Store in airtight container room temp up to 3 weeks