Edible gifts. Christmas Breton cookies

These cookie have had so many great comments that they have to be on your Christmas dinner menu and gift list and as a festive season treat. Some kids have said that these are the best gingerbread cookies they have ever had, and although they are not gingerbread, I’ll take the compliment. These cookies are inspired by Breton cookies, just with added Christmas spirit. Make them in shapes you love, but rustic and not too detailed (the dough is sticky) and give the greatest gif there is –  cookies made with love. 

Ingredients

430 g wheat flour
70 g medium milled rye flour
5 g flaky (Maldon) salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground ginger 
3 cardamom pod seeds, finely crushed
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
pinch of nutmeg
300 g light brown caster sugar
300 g cold butter, coarsely grated
6 egg yolks
30 ml milk

egg wash:
small egg yolk
25 ml milk

Prepare

Place flour and all dry ingredients into a bowl. Add butter, eggs and milk and using paddle attachment, mix everything into an almost smooth dough (some butter bits are ok). Do not over mix or the cookies will be hard. You can do this also by hand or in the blender, but be careful working with the latter, as it is easy to over mix the dough. Make a log shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 1 hour or even 12. Take out of the fridge 1h before baking.

Heat the oven to 200°. Mix egg with milk and strain through a sieve so that any egg bits aren’t left on the cookies. 

Roll out 1/3 of the dough 5 mm thick, press out desired shapes or just make round ones, as in Brittany. Place on a baking sheet, prick with a fork, brush with egg wash, and bake for 10-14 minutes, until they are golden (time depends on the size of the cookies, how hot the pan is, and many more reasons). Repeat with remaining dough. Remove and cool on a wire rack . When cool, store in a tin until ready to serve or give as a gift. 

Makes around 40 medium sized cookies

Recipe and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s
Plates, table and Christmas decorations: HM Home
Place: Sukņu stacija, Riga, Maskavas 196