Preheat
the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas
5.
Butter two
cookie sheets. Sift the
flour, baking powder, allspice, and salt into a
medium bowl.
Beat the
butter and 1/3 cup (70 g) of sugar in a large bowl
with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy.
Add the egg yolk, beating until just blended. Mix
in the dry ingredients, currants, candied peel, and
brandy until well blended.
Add enough milk to form
a soft, but not sticky, dough. Cover with
plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out
the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (5 mm).
Use a
2-inch (5-cm) cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
Gather the dough scraps, re-roll, and continue
cutting out cookies until all the dough is used.
Use
a spatula to transfer the cookies to a cookie sheet,
placing them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Prick all over
with a fork.
Bake, one sheet at a time, for 10
minutes. Beat the egg
white lightly in a small bowl.
Remove the
cookie sheet from the oven and brush the cookies
with the beaten egg white. Sprinkle with the
remaining sugar.
Bake for
5-10
minutes more, or until lightly browned.Cool on the
sheets until the cookies firm slightly. Transfer to
racks to finish cooling.