Gingerbread CookiesYield: About 2 dozen 5" cookies Ingredients: |
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Directions:
Into a large bowl, beat the sugar, shortening, molasses, and egg until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices to the wet mixture and stir until well blended. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface (such as a bread board or clean counter), use a floured rolling pin to roll the chilled dough to 1/8 inch thick.
With your favorite gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out your cookies. To keep the dough from sticking to your cutters, dip your cutters periodically in flour. Reroll your trimmings and cut more cookies. Using a thin spatula, place your cookies 1/2 inch apart on cookies sheets that have been lined with parchment paper.
On each cookie, place currants or cut raisin pieces to represent buttons, eyes, and mouths. Or, you may skip this part and use icing to decorate the cookies after they have been baked and cooled.
Bake cookies in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove cookies to wire racks and let cool.
Optional: After cookies are completely cool, you can decorate them with royal icing if desired (see recipe below).
Royal Icing
Ingredients:
1 pound powdered sugar
5 tablespoons meringue powder
Water
Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), combine sugar and meringue powder. Mixing on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup of water and stir until icing is smooth. Next, fill a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip and frost your gingerbread cookies. Frosting will harden as it dries.
Try adding food coloring to the royal icing to give your cookies extra flair.
