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Christmas: Gingerbread Snowflakes

Source of Recipe


From "The Gourmet Cookbook"



List of Ingredients



• 2/3 cup molasses (not robust or blackstrap)
  
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
  
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger
  
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
  
• ½ tsp ground cloves
  
• 2 tsp baking soda
  
• 2 sticks (½ pound) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
  
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• ½ tsp salt
  
• 3¾ to 4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• Decorator Icing (recipe follows)
  
• .
  
• -- Special Equipment --
  
• Assorted 2- to 3-inch cookie cutters (snowflake-shaped); offset metal spatula; pastry bag fitted with a 1/8 to 1/4-inch plain tip (optional)
  






Instructions



1. Put racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°. Butter two large baking sheets.
   
   
2. Combine molasses, brown sugar and spices in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally.
   
   
3. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up), then stir in butter, 3 pieces at a time, letting each addition melt before adding next. Add egg and stir until combined, then stir in salt and 3¾ cups flour.
   
   
4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting with as much of remaining flour as needed to prevent sticking, until soft and easy to handle, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Halve dough, then wrap one-half in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. Roll out remaining dough on lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round. Cut out as many cookies as possible with cutters, and carefully transfer (preferably with offset spatula) to buttered baking sheets, arranging them about 1 inch apart.
   
   
5. Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes (watch carefully toward end of baking, as cookies burn easily). Transfer to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (reroll once).
   
   Put icing in pastry bag, if using, and pipe decoratively onto cookie, or spread icing on cookies. Let stand until icing is set.
   
   Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
   
   ............
   
   DECORATING ICING
   
   • One 1-pound box confectioners' sugar
   • 4 tsp powdered egg whites (not reconstituted)
   • 1/3 cup water
   • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
   • 1 tsp vanilla extract
   • Food coloring (optional)
   
   Beat together all ingredients except food coloring in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and beat icing, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until it holds stiff peaks (about 3 minutes in a stand mixer; 4 to 5 minutes with a handheld mixer). Beat in food coloring, if using. If you plan to spread, rather than pipe, icing on cookies, stir in more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thin to desired consistency.
   
   Makes about 3 cups.