Dutch Spice Cookies

These cookies, crisp when they come out of the oven, soften wonderfully into chewy treats when stored for a week or so. The variety that our Dutch friends introduced us to  years ago were baked in the shape of windmills.

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t nutmeg
• 1 t ginger
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 2 cups soft butter
• 3 T sour cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1/2 t cloves
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 t unsweetened cocoa
• 1 egg

Put flour, sugar, salt, spices, cocoa, baking powder, and lemon rind in a bowl. Mix in butter with fingers to make crumbs. Add egg and mix again. Add just enough sour cream to hold together and make a stiff but not crumbly dough that rolls easily.

Divide in half and press onto 2 cookie sheets without sides; roll 1/8″ thick. Cut dough in strips 2 x 3″ and bake at 375ºF for 15 minutes. Break one open to see if done. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and loosen with a spatula.

Store airtight. Better if aged for one week.