Gingerbread Men

By dfarber

(Jane)

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ginger (ground)
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar - firmly packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1/2 cup (3 oz) raisin (optional)
• ICING
• 2/3 cup confectionary sugar
• 1-2 tsp milk

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat 325.
Whisk together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
With an electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Scrape sides, add egg and molasses, beat on medium until smooth. Add flour mixture and blent at slow speed until combined. Do Not Overmix.

Separate dough into 2 balls and flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
On floured surface, roll dough out 1/4 inch thickness. With floured cookie cutters, cut out gingerbread men.
Place on ungreased baking sheets 1/2 inch apart.
If want to use raisins to decorate cookies, plump raisins first by soaking them in warm water for 5 minutes.
Bake 9 - 11 minutes. Be careful NOT to brown.

ICING
Whisk sugar and milk together in a small bowl until smooth but liquid. If it seems dry, add 1/4 tsp more milk. Put in pastry bad and decorate.