Email to Cat      

Christmas: Rolled Gingerbread Cookies

Source of Recipe


From "Mom's Big Book of Baking" by Lauren Chattman






List of Ingredients



• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 2 tsp ground ginger
  
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1/2 cup dark (not light or blackstrap) molasses
  
• 1 Tbsp water
  






Instructions



1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a medium mixing bowl. Cream the butter and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add the egg, molasses and water, and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the flour mixture all at once, and mix on low speed until the dough comes together in a ball.
   
   
2. Divide the dough into 3 equal balls. Wrap each ball in plastic and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours and for up to 2 days. (The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; defrost it in the refrigerator before use.)
   
   
3. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
   
4. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out a ball of dough 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough into gingerbread people or any other desired shapes and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. If making gingerbread people, make eyes, nose, mouth and buttons with raisins, red hots, small gumdrops, and/or chocolate chips. Refrigerate the scraps.
   
   
5. Bake the cookies until they are firm, about 8 minutes. Slide the entire parchment sheet with the cookies onto a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely. Repeat with the remaining balls and then with the chilled scraps, using fresh parchment paper. Decorate with icing as desired.
   
   Makes about 40 medium gingerbread people.