Gingerbread Snowflakes

By avery

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup molalles
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 TBS ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into TBS pieces
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 3/4 to 4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Bring molasses, brown sugar and spices to a boil in a pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat. Stir in baking soda, then stir in butter 3 pieces at a time, letting each addition melt before adding next, until all butter is melted. Add egg and stir until combined, then stir in 3 3/4 cups of flour and salt.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surfaced and knead, dusting with as much of the remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent sticking, until soft and easy to handle, 30 secons to 1 minute. Halve dough, then wrap half in plastic and keep at room temperature.

Roll out other dough into a 1/8 inch thick round on a lightly floured surface. Cut out and place on a buttered baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of the oven, switching halfway through the baking until edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes.