Chocolate Hazelnut Spiced Cookies

Directions

1. 1.

   Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Butter a large baking sheet.

2. 2.

   Pulse hazelnuts, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped, then add butter and zest and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Add juice and liqueur and pulse until dough comes together into a ball but is still crumbly. Form level tablespoons of dough into balls and flatten to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, arranging 1 inch apart on baking sheet.

3. 3.

   Bake cookies until puffed and slightly cracked, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

4. 4.

   Whisk together all icing ingredients until smooth.

5. 5.

   Dip tops of cooled cookies into icing and transfer to a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Let stand until icing is set, about 1 hour.