Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375° F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2

In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the butter, 1/2 cup of the flour, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 5-8 minutes.

Step 3

Add in the heavy cream, vanilla, and egg yolks and beat until combined, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 4

In a large bowl, mix together the remaining flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, and salt. Stir this into the butter mixture until a dough forms. It will be stiff and smooth, but it should not be crumbly.

Step 5

Generously flour your cookie molds. I used about 5-inch molds, but you can use any size for this recipe. Gather up enough cookie dough to fill in your mold to the edges of the design. Press in with your fingertips. If your cookie dough goes over the edge of the design, that is okay.

Step 6

Flip the cookie mold over and tap it on the countertop until the cookie falls out. The more flour in your cookie mold, the easier the cookie will pop out of the mold.

Step 7

Once the cookie falls out, use a pastry brush or clean paintbrush to dust off any excess flour. You can also cut around the edges to clean them up with a paring knife.

Step 8

Place the cookies about 1-inch apart on baking sheets and bake for about 14 minutes for a 4 to 5-inch cookie, about 10-12 minutes for smaller cookies, or until the cookies are a deep golden brown and fully cooked.

Step 9

Place the cookies on wire cooling racks to finish cooling. They are more biscuit-like than soft! Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa.