Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon dried orange peel, ground or fresh lemon peel
• Juice of 1 lemon or lime plus water to equal 1/4 cup
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks, divided (reserve the whites for the frosting glue)

Directions

1. Grease a 12×17-inch jellyroll pan or cookie sheet with a 1/2-inch lip.
2. Mix the sugar, honey and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for several minutes. The sugar will not dissolve, but the mixture should be light yellow in color and well-mixed. Remove from heat, add the orange peel or lemon peel and lemon juice-water mixture, and stir until fully incorporated. Let cool slightly.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. Remove 2 cups to a separate large mixing bowl, add the slightly cooled sugar mixture from the saucepan and beat together until smooth.
4. Add 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk and beat until smooth. Add the rest of the flour, 1 cup at a time.
5. Adjust the consistency of the dough. You should be able to handle the dough with your hands easily. Add water or flour, if necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time to reach the consistency of refrigerator cookie dough.
6. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured board (almost no flour) to almost the size of your jelly roll pan. Transfer it to the pan and press or roll the dough into the corners, keeping the thickness even. If you are following the step-by-step guide for the Swiss Chalet house, roll one batch of dough into long ropes and lay side by side. Use the extra dough to make fascia and fence posts. Lay them on another cookie sheet.
7. Mix the second egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water and brush over dough. Place decorative nuts on dough, if you are using.
8. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and cut into shapes using a template before it cools completely. Don’t forget to cut doors and windows as desired. You have about 1/2 hour to do this. If the sheet of dough cools, you will need to use a jigsaw for further cuts or bake another batch!