Ingredients

5 cups flour
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons baking soda or baking powder
1 cup of butter
2 cups of honey
1 cup of brown sugar
8 teaspoons gingerbread spice mix (heaping)
1 lemon or orange, finely grated zest only
4 eggs
0.8 cups sour cream

Steps

Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, 1salt and baking soda or baking powder.

Melt butter, honey, sugar: Melt the butter, honey and brown sugar over low heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, take it off the heat.

Add spices and zest: Stir in the gingerbread spice mix (heaping) and the finely grated zest of lemon or orange, finely grated zest only.

Add eggs and sour cream: Once the mixture has cooled a little but is still warm, beat in the eggs one at a time. Finally, stir in the sour cream.

Make the dough: Add the flour mixture and mix well until you have a smooth dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Age the dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and age the dough in the fridge for about two weeks. If you don't have time, use baking powder instead of baking soda when mixing, and bake the next day.

Preheat and divide: Preheat the oven to 170 °C (340 °F). Divide the dough into two or three portions. Roll out one and put the rest back in the fridge.

Roll and cut: Dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough into a sheet about ¼ in thick, sprinkling a little flour as you go so it doesn't stick. Cut out cookies with cutters.

Bake: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cookies about 1 inch apart, since they spread slightly. Bake about 9 minutes, without overbaking: the edges should be firm and the centers still soft.

Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet, then move them to a rack or plate.

Notes

If you age the dough for a week or two, use baking soda. If you're baking the next day, use baking powder.