Gingerbread Men

By annekeeney

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 c. flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 t. ground allspice
• 1/4 t. ground cloves
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 3/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
• 1 T. plus 1 t. grated, peeled fresh ginger
• 1 lg. egg
• 1/4 c. unsulfured molasses

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

In a lg. bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, and cloves; set aside.

In the bowl of and electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, both sugars, and fresh ginger on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in egg and molasses to combine. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and shape into flattened disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Remove dough from the refrigerator, and let stand until slightly softened. (This will keep the dough from cracking when rolled). On a lg. piece of parchment paper lightly dusted with flour, roll out the dough to about 1/4" thick thick. To prevent sticking while rolling , occasionally run a lg. offset spatula under dough, and add more flour. Place parchment paper and dough on another baking sheet; freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes.

Remove dough from freezer; working quickly, cut out with large cookie cutters. (If the dough begins to soften too much, return to the freezer for a few minutes.)Using a wide metal spatula, transfer cutouts to prepared baking sheets; chill until firm, about 15 minutes.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are crisp but not darkened, 12-15 minutes. Transfer parchment and cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired with Royal Icing, if using. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.