hristmas
baking wouldn't seem complete without a batch of gingerbread men. They
are fragrant with ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; the amount of
which can be adjusted to suit your own individual taste. If you like
your gingerbread cookies on the soft side bake them a little less than the
recipe states as the longer they bake the harder they will become.
You can decorate your gingerbread men by pressing raisins into the dough
before baking or else frost the baked and cooled cookies with
confectioners frosting. To hang them on the tree or to use as gift tags, make a hole
in the top of the cookie with a straw or end of a wooden skewer before
they are baked.
In
England and North America, we usually make our gingerbread with
treacle or molasses. Ground ginger and cinnamon are almost always
present, with ground cloves
placing a distant third, if used at all.
There are two types of molasses generally used in making gingerbread: light
and dark. Light molasses, used in this recipe, comes from the first
boiling of the sugar syrup and is lighter in flavor and color than the dark
molasses. Dark molasses comes from the second boiling and is darker in
color with a more robust flavor. Molasses is usually labeled as "sulphured"
or "unsulphured" depending on whether sulphur was used in the processing. The unsulphured molasses is lighter in color and tends to have a nicer
flavor. Molasses is used in baked goods to add color, moistness and
flavor.
Gingerbread Men: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the
flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer
(or with a hand mixer), with the
paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add
the egg and molasses and beat until well combined. Gradually add the flour
mixture beating until incorporated.
Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half
in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C)
and place rack in center of oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment
paper and set aside while you roll out the dough.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the
dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use a gingerbread cutter to
cut out the cookies. With an offset spatula lift the cut out cookies onto
the baking sheet, placing the cookies about 1 inch (2.54 cm) apart. If you
are hanging the cookies or using as gift tags, make a hole at the top of the
cookies with a straw or end of a wooden skewer.
Bake for about 8 - 12 minutes depending on the
size of the cookies. Small ones will take about 8 minutes, larger cookies
will take about 12 minutes. They are done when they are firm and the edges
are just beginning to brown.
Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on
the baking sheet for about 1 minutes. When they are firm enough to move,
transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
If desired, you can press raisins, currants,
or candies into the dough for eyes and buttons while the cookies are still warm. Otherwise, confectioners frosting can be used to decorate the cookies. You can also
use the icing as a glue to attach candies, raisins, and sprinkles.
Confectioners
Frosting: In an electric mixer
(or with a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth and well
blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually
beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater. Add
the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4
minutes). Add a little more milk if too dry. Place
the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and decorate the
gingerbread men as desired.
Tint portions of
frosting with desired food color (I use the paste food coloring that is
available at cake decorating stores and party stores).
Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on the
size of cookie cutter used.
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hristmas
baking wouldn't seem complete without a batch of gingerbread men. They
are fragrant with ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; the amount of
which can be adjusted to suit your own individual taste. If you like
your gingerbread cookies on the soft side bake them a little less than the
recipe states as the longer they bake the harder they will become.
You can decorate your gingerbread men by pressing raisins into the dough
before baking or else frost the baked and cooled cookies with
confectioners frosting. To hang them on the tree or to use as gift tags, make a hole
in the top of the cookie with a straw or end of a wooden skewer before
they are baked. 
