Spiced gingerbread cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of premium flour, plus extra for dusting surfaces and rolling out the dough
• 3 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.5 tsp ground allspice
• 0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 110 g butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 0.5 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup dry egg white
• Decoration: cinnamon-flavored candies (such as Red Hots), chocolate chips, raisins, or jelly beans
• Special equipment: a small curved pastry spatula

Preparation:

1. Making cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and baking powder.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes (scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed). Beat in the molasses, then the egg (the mixture will become curdy).
   
   Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the dough is smooth. Divide it into 2 portions, shape each into a flat disk, and wrap each individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Remove 1 disk of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a well-floured surface to a thickness of 6 mm (1/4 in); dust the top and bottom of the dough with flour if necessary and use an offset spatula to prevent sticking (if the dough looks cracked or any bits fall off, press them into the outer edge).
5. Using cookie cutters, cut out cookies from the dough, leaving minimal space between each cookie. Pull out any scraps left around each cookie and, using a small offset spatula, transfer the dough shapes to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2.5 cm apart. Gather all the dough scraps together and re-roll; cut out the cookies. Freeze for about 15 minutes to firm up.
6. Bake for about 12 minutes until the cookies are slightly firm to the touch, but don't let the edges brown. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through the baking time and rotate them. Repeat with the remaining disk of dough.
7. Cool the cookies in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely for about 20 minutes (they will become firmer as they cool).
8. Preparing the glazeIn a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar, dry egg white, and 3 tablespoons water and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the icing thickens, being careful not to incorporate too much air into the mixture (the icing should be snow-white and thick, not airy and bubbly).
9. Transfer the icing to a zip-top bag and snip off one corner to create an opening of your desired size. Decorate the cookies as desired with the icing, and while it's still wet, glue the candies onto it. Let the icing set at room temperature for about an hour.