Something a little bit different because of the walnuts and honey.  I don’t know where this recipe came from.  It simply appeared in my notes.   The cookie is mild, not too spicy, and handles well.

Ingredients: 

1. ½ cup walnuts
2. 2 cups all-purpose flour
3. ¾ cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
4. ½ teaspoon ground cloves
5. ½ teaspoon ground ginger
6. ½ teaspoon ground allspice
7. ½ teaspoon baking soda
8. ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
9. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10. ¼ cup honey
11. 1 egg

 Directions

1. Finely grind the walnuts in a blender or food processor.
2. Add ¼ cup of the flour and ¼ cup of the brown sugar and grind to a powder.  Set aside.
3. Sift together the remaining flour, spices, and baking soda into a bowl.  Set aside.
4. Combine the butter, vanilla, the remaining brown sugar in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy.  Beat in the honey and egg.  Reduce the speed to low and add the flour-spice mixture and the nut mixture and mix until just incorporated.
5. Gather the dough into a ball, and divide in half.  Wrap in separate sheets of waxed paper and chill until firm (1 hour to overnight). 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper 

1. Roll out dough to ¼” thick and cut out cookies using decorative shaped cookie cutters.  Bake cookies until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.
2. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
3. Decorate with sparkling sugar and or royal icing.

Yield:  A medium batch of cookies, depending on thickness and cookie cutter.