Perfect Gingerbread (for cookies and houses)

By brendaz

This recipe is excellent both for gingerbread men and and other cookie cut-outs as well as for constructing houses.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Preparation

Step 1

Using a hand or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and water and mix well. Sift remaining ingredients together and stir into mixture until just incorporated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

On a flour-dusted or parchment-lined cookie sheet, roll out dough to desired thickness (for gingerbread houses use 1/4" thickness). Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes and remove excess dough from cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 11-18 minutes depending on size and thickness.

For detailed photos and instruction on constructing a gingerbread house, visit my blog at www.foodandfact.com