Gingerbread bells

By tcasteel2000

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup˙(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 6 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup pasteurized egg whites
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Desired food coloring

Details

Servings 36
Adapted from today.msnbc.msn.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between floured parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Stack dough in parchment on a baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes. With a 3 ½ inch bell-shaped cutter, cut out dough (reroll scraps, if desired). Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake until cookies are firm and edges begin to brown, 14 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. In a large bowl, using mixer, beat confectioners' sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar on low until combined. With mixer on high, beat until icing is whipped and opaque, 4 minutes. Thin with water as needed to make a stiff but spreadable icing. Divide icing among bowls; tint with food coloring. Transfer icings to large separate zip-top bags and snip 1/8 -inch hole in one corner of each bag. Frost cookies in one color, then pipe horizontal lines in a different color; drag a toothpick up and down through lines. Let sit until icing is set, 2 hours. (Store in airtight containers, up to 1 week.)
Active time: 1 1/2 hours
Total time: 2 hours + cooling