Spice Cookies (Speculaas)

Ingredients

 * 1 cup margarine or butter
 * 1½ cups packed brown sugar
 * 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
 * 1 tsp baking powder
 * ½ tsp ground nutmeg
 * ½ tsp ground cloves
 * ¼ tsp salt
 * 1 egg
 * 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
 * ⅓ cup finely chopped blanched almonds (optional)
 * blanched whole almonds (optional)

Directions

 * 1) Beat margarine or butter with a mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds or by hand.
 * 2) Add brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
 * 3) Beat in egg and flour.
 * 4) Add chopped almonds if using.
 * 5) Roll dough to ⅛ inch thickness on a lightly floured board and cut into shapes (windmills and Sinterklaas / Santa shapes are traditional but we also cut them into the children's initials).
 * 6) Decorate with whole almonds if using.
 * 7) Place one inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.
 * 8) Bake in 350°F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
 * 9) Cool 1 minute, transfer to wire racks to cool completely.