Gingerbread Cookies

By Benae21

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light molasses
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• white icing

Preparation

Step 1

In a bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together the butter, brown sugar and molasses until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks. In a sifter combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger allspice, baking soda, cloves and salt. Sift the flour mixture directly into the butter mixture. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat until well combined. Gather the dough into a ball, it will soft. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Position racks in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Butter 2 large, heavy duty baking sheets.

Remove one-third of the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured work surface, roll it out 1/4 inch thick. Using a figure-shaped cookie cutter 5 inches long, cut out gingerbread people. Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, placing them 1 inch apart. Gather up the craps into a ball ,wrap in plastic wrap and chill. Repeat rolling and cutting out the cookies with the remaining dough, in 2 batches. Then reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies.

Bake until the cookies begin to turn golden brown on the edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool.

Decorate the cooled cookies with icing as desired Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.