Gingerbread Nuts

Ingredients

• 3 pounds All-purpose flour (About 10.5 cups; may need slightly more for rolling)
• 1 pound Granulated sugar (About 2 cups)
• 3.5 pounds Treacle or dark molasses (About 4 cups; use hot)
• 0.5 ounce Caraway seeds (About 1.5 tablespoons)
• 0.5 ounce Ground allspice (About 1.5 tablespoons)
• 2 ounces Butter, softened (About 4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup)
• 0.5 ounce Candied lemon peel, finely chopped (About 1.5 tablespoons)
• 3 ounces Ground ginger (About 9 tablespoons)
• 0.5 ounce Ground coriander (About 1.5 tablespoons)
• 3 whole Egg yolks, large
• 1 wineglass Brandy (About 1/4 cup or 2 fluid ounces)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. 2Gently heat the treacle or molasses in a saucepan until it is hot but not boiling. Set aside.
3. 3In a large mixing bowl, work the softened butter with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until it reaches a creamy consistency.
4. 4Beat in the egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated. Add the ground ginger, ground allspice, ground coriander, caraway seeds, chopped candied lemon peel, and brandy. Mix thoroughly until combined.
5. 5Add the flour and sugar to the butter mixture. Mix until partially combined.
6. 6Pour in the hot treacle and mix thoroughly until a stiff dough forms. The dough should be firm enough to roll out. If too sticky, add a small amount of additional flour, but use as little as possible.
7. 7Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll small portions of dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter, or roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut into small rounds or shapes.
8. 8Place the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
9. 9Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies are firm and slightly darker around the edges. They should be crisp when cooled.
10. 10Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.