8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon each baking soda and salt
1/4 teaspoon each ground cloves and ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together butter and 3/4 cup sugar. Add egg, egg ok, and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Sift flour, soda, salt, cloves, and nutmeg. Blend well with mixture. Chill for 30 minutes. Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. On lightly floured surface, roll cookie dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut cookies with cactus-shaped cutter. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake on lightly oiled cookie sheet for 5 to 7 minutes.

From “A Grande Finale,” originally featured in Domain, Winter 1988