Preparation

• In a bowl, using a mixer, cream the butter, honey, molasses, vanilla, and salt on medium speed, around a minute or so.
• Add the spices and orange zest, beat for 10 seconds to incorporate.
• Gradually stir in the flour, mixing with a whisk first then with a spoon, until the dough forms; it will be soft and pliable and a tad of sticky. You can always adjust the consistency by dusting with a bit flour or adding a few drops of water or milk - if it's too tough. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• If you are using a cookie stamp, shape a small piece of dough (1 teaspoon to 1 tbsp.) into a ball. Press the flour-dusted stamp over a ball of dough also dusted with flour, then firmly press down on the dough, until it flattens and spreads out all the way to the edge of the stamp. Carefully pull the dough off the stamp and set onto the baking sheet.
• If you don't have or don't want to use stamps, simply roll out the chilled dough and cut it using cookie cutters.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (~175 degrees C). Arrange the cookies on lined sheet(s).
• Bake for about 10-14 minutes (depending on size and your oven) or until edges are browned a little. It is better to slightly underbake them, because they are going to be back in the oven for a few minutes after being glazed.
• In a meantime, in a small bowl make the glaze by whisking together the icing sugar, orange juice (starting with 2 tbsp.), Cointreau (starting with 2 tbsp.), and cloves. Adjust the consistency by adding more juice or/and liqueur.
• When cookies are baked, remove them from the oven and let cool few minutes until easy to handle; don't turn the oven off yet. Quickly dip a cookie into the glaze or simply pour some glaze over each cookie and return them on the baking sheet. Place back in the oven for 2 minutes with the oven on.
• Turn the heat off and let the cookies stay in for another 1-2 minutes then remove them from the oven. This method results in crisp and cracking glaze - beautiful and delicious!
• Cool them completely then transfer to an air-tight container. Enjoy!