Clove Snaps

Total Time: 2 hrs 42 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, completely softened at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon packed finely grated orange zest

Recipe

• 1 in a bowl sift together the flour, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, and salt.
• 2 cream the butter in an electric mixter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• 3 add the sugar and blend until just combined, scraping the bowl well.
• 4 add the egg and orange zest and mix until well blended, scraping the bowl as needed.
• 5 add the sifted dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed just until the flour is absorbed and the dough starts to come together (about 30 seconds).
• 6 turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead just until the dough forms a smooth mass.
• 7 flatten into a disk that's abot 1/2 inch thick.
• 8 wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
• 9 heat the oven to 375*f.
• 10 on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough 1/8th inch thick, making sure it isn't sticking to the surface and that it rolls out evenly, lightly sprinkling flour under the dough if needed.
• 11 with a 2 inch round cookie cutter, stamp out shapes.
• 12 reroll the scraps and stamp out more.
• 13 set the cookies 1/2 inch apart on parchment lined baking sheets.
• 14 bake until the cookies are golden around the edges and on the bottoms, about 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets as needed for even baking.
• 15 let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets on racks.
• 16 store in airtight container.