Simple gingerbread cookies

In a small saucepan, place butter, honey, cocoa, sweetener, and a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, pepper, and cloves (or use gingerbread spice). Heat over low heat for a few minutes until combined, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a bowl, place flour and a pinch of baking soda and salt. Mix. Then add the chocolate mixture from the saucepan and the egg yolk (store the egg white in the refrigerator and use it within a few days for another meal). First, mix and knead the dough with a spoon, and then by hand until it is compact and uniform. If necessary, during kneading, add a little water if the dough is too dry or a bit more flour if it is too sticky.

Wrap the dough in cling film or aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. The thickness of the rolled-out dough should be about 3-6 mm. If the dough crumbles (which may be related to the flour used), patch any tears with your hands while rolling. If the dough sticks excessively, dust it more heavily with flour. Cut out various shapes of gingerbread cookies using cookie cutters. Try to use as much dough as possible - re-roll and cut out the remaining scraps. Transfer the gingerbread cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius. Bake for about 8-10 minutes (depending on the size of the cookies). Be careful not to overbake them.

Remove the baked gingerbread cookies from the oven and set them aside to cool. Right after cooling, the gingerbread cookies are crispy, but they become softer over time. Store the gingerbread cookies in an airtight container.