Brown Sugar Spice Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 cups old fashioned oats

Directions

1. In one bowl, sift the flour with the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, plus the allspice and pepper. Beat the butter with the paddle attachment on a stand mixer at medium-low speed for about 2 min, until smooth. Add the brown sugar in 3 additions, then pour in the molasses, stopping to scrape the bowl whenever it needs it. Beat for another 2 min. Mix in the egg yolk, egg, and vanilla, and scrape down the bowl once more. Drop the mixer speed to low; incorporate the dry mixture in 3 additions, stopping as soon as it is combined. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate until just a bit firm, about 30 min.
2. Set out 3 15-inch sheets of plastic wrap. Lightly whisk the egg white together with 1 teaspoon water. Spread the chopped walnuts in a long, shallow dish, such as a 7×11-inch Pyrex dish. On a lightly floured surface, shape 1 piece of dough at a time into a log about 8 inches long. Move the log to a piece of waxed paper. Use a light coat of the egg-white mixture over the whole log, then roll it through the walnuts, pressing gently to help them stick. The log should stretch to at least 9 inches as you coat it. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap down and center the log along the long edge nearest you. Roll it up tightly and twist the ends firmly closed. Put a hand at each end of the log and press firmly toward the middle to compact the dough. Aim for a log about 9 inches long and 1-3/4 inches thick. Repeat with the remaining dough. Chill the logs until they can be sliced cleanly; give them at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
3. Arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, then set the oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Slice 1 log at a time into 1/4-inch rounds with a tomato knife or another small serrated knife, using a gentle back-and-forth motion. Arrange the rounds 1 inch apart on the prepared pans. Bake for about 14 minutes, rotating pans as needed, until tops are set and feel a little firm. Leave the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a thin metal spatula to lift them onto racks. Once cool, layer the cookies with waxed paper and place them in a tightly covered container; they will keep up to a week, or they may be frozen for up to 3 months.