Dutch Windmill Cookies

At Christmas time, the Dutch have traditionally made cookies in the shapes of windmills, farm animals, and other reminders of daily life. Today, you can also find these spicy windmill cookies in America.

vegetable oil cooking spray

1 cup margarine

11⁄2 cups brown sugar

1 egg

2 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

11⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves

1⁄2 cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons flour for rolling cookies

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Spray cookie sheets with vegetable oil cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, beat the margarine, brown sugar, and egg with an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until fluffy.
• Turn the mixer off. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the bowl. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
• Place 1⁄3 cup of the sliced almonds in a zipper-lock bag. Close the bag and crush the almonds with a rolling pin by rolling it back and forth. Fold the almond into the cookie dough with a rubber spatula.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough with a floured rolling pin until the dough is about 1⁄2 inch thick.
• Cut the dough into windmill (or other) shapes using cookie cutters.
• Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Decorate with the remaining sliced almonds.
• Use oven mitts to place in oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Using oven mitts, remove from the oven.
• Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute. Remove with a spatula and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
• Repeat steps 9 and 10 until all cookies are baked.

Time 30 minutes to prepare plus 30 minutes to bake

Makes 4 dozen cookies