This Christmas, I didn’t do nearly as much baking as I did last year, I think the Thank-You baking and the food for the choir was enough to burn me out this year, plus I’ve been seriously busy lately.  But, I couldn’t let this festive season pass without doing at least something, so, gingerbread it was!

I’d read a friend of mines Facebook, she’d recently baked some gingerbread cookies with her kids and I asked her for her recipe (which she kindly furnished me with a few weeks ago) and it’s been teasing me ever since.

So, Christmas Eve was D-day, I had the time, the ingredients (oh, dear lord I’ve become the kind of person who has molasses in her pantry) and I was curious about the recipe.  I rolled the dough thinner than I should have, so it was more like gingerbread crisps – and I liked them, Col also thought they were well tasty!

Nicole’s gingerbread cookies

Oven 375F

Ingredients

1/2 cup shortning (I used butter)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Makes about 18 cookies, depending on the size of your cutters.

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves.

Beat till combined, scraping bowl. Beat in the molasses, egg and vinegar till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can, with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill for about three hours or till easy to handle. (I cover in plastic wrap)

2. Grease a cookie sheet, set aside. On a lightly floured surface roll half the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thick if using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter (Round). Using a cookie cutter, cut into desired shapes.

Place 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake in a 375 oven for 5 to 6 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely before icing. Ice and decorate with hard candies, sprinkles etc.

**** If you are using gingerbread people cut outs (larger cutters) Prepare as above except roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut with people cutters about 4 1/2 inch to 6 inch people shape, at 375 oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly brown.

Royal Icing (I cheated and used pre-made Wilton stuff)
Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• Food colouring if you want colour (otherwise this is white icing)

Directions

1. Beat egg whites in clean, large bowl with mixer at high speed until foamy (use only grade A clean, uncracked eggs). Gradually add sugar and lemon extract. Beat at high speed until thickened. NOTE: When dry, Royal Icing is very hard and resistant to damage that can occur during shipping/handling. If you find the icing too runny, you can add a bit more powdered sugar, although I find this icing is easy to spread over a whole cookie. It does dry hard!!! It is good for gingerbread houses.

You can use it too, in a icing bag, to get thinner lines. I have also used, from the grocery store “cake mate” brand icing writers. They come in a few colours and have a thin tube for fine lines if you don’t have an icing bag and tips.

Thanks for the recipe Nicole!