Christmas Cookie Week - Day 4

This recipe is a classic, classic one and in making it, I realized that I didn't own a gingerbread man cookie cutter. How with all the baking I do, I don't own a gingerbread cookie cutter, I don't know but thankfully Michaels sells them for 99 cents. I don't usually frost my gingerbread men, I just put the cinnamon dots or buttons on them, three in a row and then them done! I love the smell when making gingerbread cookie dough, the spices, the molasses, makes it all so yummy and very holiday-smelling in my nose. Or that I can light a candle, and call it a day but there are no cookies made. I prefer to make cookies :-)

First, gather together your ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 stick (1/2) butter, softened, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 egg, 2/3 cup unsulfured molasses.

In your mixing bowl, cream the butter first.

Then add in the sugar until light and fluffy.

Add in the egg, (room temperature is best) and the molasses.

Now you add in the dry ingredients, the flour, the baking soda and all the wonderful spices.

Mix all the ingredients until they are completely incorporated. Divide the dough into half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to finish making your gingerbread men, turn your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly flour your surface where you will roll out the dough and cut out the gingerbread men. If you need to flour the cookie cutter, leave a little pile of flour so the cookie cutter doesn't stick to the dough. Cut the gingerbread men, place then on a parchment-lined or non-stick baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are firm.

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 1 minute before you transfer them to a wire rack to cool. 

If you are using cinnamon buttons like me, put them on the gingerbread men before you bake them.

Then serve, eat and enjoy!