Gingerbread Men

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• ½ cup (scant) sugar
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp gingerbread spices (ground cardamom, anise, cloves, cinnamon, ginger - mixed together according to taste)
• 1 small pinch of salt
• grated peel of 1 fresh lemon
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2½ tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp rosewater
• 2¼ cups flour
• vanilla or chocolate icing (optional)

Directions

1. Melt together the butter, sugar, and honey over low heat, then allow to cool.
2. Add the gingerbread spices, salt, grated lemon peel, sugar, and the egg yolk; stir until lightened.
3. Stir the baking soda into the rosewater and add to the egg yolk mixture.
4. Combine this mixture with the flour and knead into a dough.
5. Let stand overnight.
6. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
7. Generously butter a baking sheet.
8. Roll out the dough on the sheet about ¼ inch thick, and cut the dough into long rectangles or stamp out little gingerbread men with a cookie cutter (the original "kathrinchen" are shaped like the pastries called "langues du chat", or "cat's tongues" - or ladyfingers with broadened ends).
9. Whatever design you decide on, bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
10. And, if you choose, frost with vanilla or chocolate icing when cookies are lukewarm.