This, to me, is the quintessential sign of the holiday season. Nothing says the holidays are upon us as the wafting fragrance of gingerbread spices throughout the house. This makes about 24, 5” gingerbread men or women.

Ready

• 2 ¼ cups flour (and a little more for rolling)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 Tblsp ground ginger
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp cloves
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• ½ cup unsulphured blackstrap molasses
• 1 ½ sticks butter (6 oz) cold butter, cut into ½” cubes
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar

Set

• Mixer with paddle attachment
• Prepared cookie sheets, with Silpat or parchment paper
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Metal spatula
• 2 medium bowls
• Plastic wrap
• Parchment paper
• Cookie cutter
• Cooling racks

Go

1. In medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In separate bowl whisk together egg and molasses. Set aside.
3. In bowl of mixer with paddle attachment, Cream butter until light.
4. Add brown sugar and mix , scraping down sides until well incorporated.
5. On low speed, add molasses mixture and mix until just mixed. Don’t over beat.
6. Again on low speed, add flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
7. Remove dough from mixer, place in plastic wrap and press into ½”- 1” disc.
8. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
9. Remove dough from refrigerator and place between sheets of lightly floured parchment paper.
10. Roll dough to about ⅛” – ¼”.
11. Dip cutter in flour and cut out shapes. Remove them with spatula and place on prepared cookie sheet, allowing 1” in between cookies. Gather and re-roll scrapes and cut.
12. Place sheets in refrigerator for about 45 minutes to an hour.
13. Preheat oven to 350°F.
14. Place sheets in oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes.

What you should know

This is a recipe just for the dough. If you decorate your cutouts with fruit (raisins or currants) they should be placed before baking.