vegetarianMix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the All-purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Salt (fine), Ground Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, Ground Cloves, Ground Cardamom, and Ground Nutmeg until the spices are evenly distributed and the mixture looks uniform.
Warm the honey base
In a small saucepan, combine the Honey, Granulated Sugar, and Butter (unsalted) over low heat. Stir often until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves into a smooth, glossy mixture; do not let it boil. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Make the dough
Whisk the Eggs and Sour Cream (smetana) into the cooled honey mixture until smooth, then stir in the dry ingredients just until a soft, sticky dough forms and no floury patches remain.
Chill the dough
Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 1 hour, until it feels firm enough to shape cleanly.
Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shape and bake
With lightly floured hands, roll the chilled dough into 12 even balls, set them a few inches apart on the prepared sheet, and flatten each one very slightly. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the tops look set and the bottoms are just lightly browned.
Cook the glaze
While the cookies bake, combine the Water and remaining granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then cook for 3–5 minutes until the syrup looks clear and lightly thickened.
Glaze the cookies
Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then brush or dip the tops with the warm glaze. Move them to a rack and let the glaze set for 10 minutes before serving.
