Edible Holiday Place Cards

These dark, richly spiced Scandinavian ginger cookies may take a little longer to prepare than other cookie recipes, but the wait is well worth it. Make any extra dough into smaller cookie shapes to be eaten another time.

Ingredients

7 oz. butter
3/4 cup sugar syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1–2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1–2 tsp. ground cloves
1–2 tsp. ground ginger
grated zest of 1 orange
2 eggs
1 lb. 2 oz. flour
3 tsp. baking powder

For the icing:
Use confectioners’ sugar mixed with a little warm water to make a paste. Spoon the icing into a small recycled plastic bag with one small corner cut off, squeeze the icing out gently and write names or initials on the cooled cookies.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the butter, syrup, sugar, spices and orange zest into a saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil briefly, and then allow to cool.

2. Beat the eggs into the cooled mixture, one at a time, and mix thoroughly. Then sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.

3. Add the wet mix to the flour, a little at a time, combine into a dough, wrap tightly in eco-friendly plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

4. Take off the plastic wrap, roll out the dough 1/8-inch deep, cut into shapes, place on a greased baking tray and bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes. These quantities will make about 16 cookies.