White Chocolate Gingerbread Star Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamong
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened slightly but still fairly firm
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1 – 2 Tbsp milk
• 4 – 10 oz. white chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, then put the bowl aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter together until they are fully blended, pausing now and then to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, then mix in the molasses and 1 Tbsp milk.
3. Turn the mixer to low and gradually work in the dry mixture until the dough comes together, adding the extra 1 Tbsp milk only if the dough needs it.
4. Split the dough into two even pieces. Roll each piece between two sheets of parchment paper to a thickness just a little more than 1/4-inch, shaping it more like an oblong or rectangle so it will fit on a cookie sheet.
5. Set the rolled dough on a cookie sheet and chill it in the freezer for 20 minutes, or in the fridge for about 1 hour, until firm. Cut out stars with a cookie cutter.
6. Lift the cookies from the parchment with a thin metal spatula or pastry scraper if that helps, then move them to a cookie sheet with about 1-inch of space between them. Bake in the heated oven for 8 minutes, until the cookies are lightly set and a gentle touch leaves a faint mark.
7. Continue the same rolling, chilling, cutting and baking process with the rest of the dough. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool all the way.
8. When the cookies are completely cool, put the white chocolate in a small microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave it at 50% power in 20 second bursts, stirring thoroughly after each one, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
9. To drizzle the chocolate, spoon it into a resealable bag, snip a tiny bit from one corner, and pipe it over the cookies. Or, dip or spread the white chocolate over half of each cookie.
10. Add white sparkling sugar sprinkles, then leave the cookies at room temperature until the chocolate firms up. Store the cookies in an airtight container.
11. Use 4 oz. white chocolate if you are only drizzling the cookies. For dipping or spreading the chocolate over them, use about 10 oz.