Not overly sweet, these cookies have a warm and slightly spicy flavor due to the inclusion of caraway seeds, which are often used to flavor bread. But caraway (known for freshening the breath) was also an ingredient in sweet baked goods during the Christmas season, including sugar plums, comfits (candies made from seeds or nuts coated in several layers of sugar), as well as small cakes and cookies. These cookies are very pretty cut in the shapes of diamonds and hearts.

They were just one of the many seasonal New Year's treats brought to America by Dutch settlers during colonial times, particularly the New York region. Sometimes called New Year’s cakes), these delicacies not only included caraway seeds as a flavoring, but also lemon and sometimes apple cider or nutmeg. They were handed out to visitors during New Year’s calling (open house) celebrations, common among New Yorkers in the nineteenth century.

MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN COOKIES

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, then beat in the eggs.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt together in a separate bowl, then slowly add to the wet ingredients. Stir in the caraway seeds and lemon zest and continue to mix until combined. If dough seems sticky, add up to 1/2 cup additional flour in small increments until dough is easy to handle.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of a little more than 1/4 inch and cut into heart, diamond, and rectangular shapes. Place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart and prick all over with a fork.

Bake for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle tops with granulated sugar. Cool for a few minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe featured in the Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook.

Photos courtesy of Heather Raub of FrontRoom Images.