Holiday Honey Trees

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup sugar

½ cup honey (any variety/flavor)

1 large egg, yolk and white separated

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease.In medium saucepan, bring butter, sugar and honey to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil gently one minute. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally (1 hour.)In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Stir in cooled honey mixture and egg yolk. Using damp hands, gently knead until smooth dough forms. Do not over knead. Form into large ball.Divide dough in half and gently press into discs. Wrap each dough ball in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.On lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball -inch thick. Cut with large tree cutter and place cookies 1frac12; inches apart onto prepared pans. Gently press dough scraps together to reroll and cut.Brush cookies with lightly beaten egg white. Decorate as desired and place cinnamon candy on top of each tree. Bake 8#8211;10 minutes, just until cookies are light brown. Baking time will vary with cookie size.Store tightly wrapped at room temperature or freeze for up to 2 months.Makes 18 large trees.Baker's hint: 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for all the spices listed in recipe.@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per cookie: 163 calories; 6 g fat (3 g saturated), 27 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein, 26 mg cholesterol, 105 mg sodium.