American Gingerbread No. 2

Ingredients

• 1 pound Honey (Originally '1 ratal'. Approx 1 1/3 cups.)
• 1/4 pound Sugar (Originally '1/4 sher'. Approx 1/2 cup.)
• 1/4 pound Almonds (Blanched and sliced. Originally '1/4 ratal'.)
• 2 ounces Candied orange peel (Finely chopped. Originally '5 tolas'.)
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon (Finely pounded. Originally '1/4 tola'.)
• 4 cups Wheat flour (Quantity estimated. Add as needed to form a stiff dough.)
• 1 tablespoon Butter (For greasing the baking tray.)

Instructions

1. 1Peel the almonds, slice them thinly, wash them, and dry them thoroughly.
2. 2In a tinned vessel or saucepan, heat the honey on the stove until hot. Remove from heat. While the honey is still hot, immediately mix in the sugar, prepared almonds, chopped candied orange peel, and cinnamon.
3. 3Gradually add wheat flour to the hot mixture, mixing constantly, until you have added enough to form a stiff dough that can be rolled out.
4. 4Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Fold the dough over on itself (double it), and roll it out again to 1/2 inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to cut the dough into various shapes.
5. 5Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a baking sheet with butter. Place the cut pieces on the sheet, spacing them slightly apart. Bake in the moderate oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and firm. (Note: The original text suggests baking for 1.5 hours, which is likely for a very slow drying oven; for modern ovens, 15-20 minutes is recommended for biscuits).