Gingerbread bites

Honey	2/3 cup
Butter, unsalted, room temperature	5 tablespoons (70 grams)
Flour, all purpose	2 cups (250 grams)
Baking powder	1 teaspoon
Almonds, chopped	2/3 cup
Cinnamon, ground	4 tablespoons
Ginger, ground	¾ teaspoon
Allspice, ground	¾ teaspoon
Nutmeg, ground	¼ teaspoon
Cloves, ground	¼ teaspoon
Anise seed, ground	¼ teaspoon
Cherries, fresh or canned	20 or so
Apricot fruit spread	¼ cup
Chocolate, grated	¾ cup

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the honey and butter together.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and anise seed; measure out 1 tablespoon of the mixture, and reserve the remaining for another use.
3. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, almonds, and 1 tablespoon spice mixture; remove the pan from the heat.
4. Preheat to 350°F.
5. While the dough is still warm, form small balls into your palm, and then flatten them.
   If the mixture gets too sticky, sprinkle confectioners' sugar on your palms.
6. Place a cherry into each flattened cookie, and wrap the dough around it; continue until all the dough is used, you'll have about 18 cookies.
7. Line a baking sheet, and then place the cookies on the pan with a pastry spatula, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden; be careful not to burn.
9. Carefully remove from the pan with a pastry spatula, and cool completely on a wire rack.
10. Warm the apricot fruit spread in a saucepan.
11. Brush a teaspoon of fruit spread onto each cookie.
12. Roll the cookies in the chocolate.

Recipe from European Cookies for Every Occasion by Krisztina Maksai