gingerbread cookies

Sugar cookies are my thing. I love my recipe and I love to decorate them with fancy piped designs using royal icing. Oddly enough, they are more of a Valentine's Day tradition than a Christmas cookie, but I do like to pipe some trees, snowflakes, and occasionally mini-houses to perch on coffee cups.

My roommate is a gingerbread cookie girl. She likes to make gingerbread men for all the kids in her life and pipe designs or names onto them. I love her gingerbread cookie recipe and have adopted it as my own. It is easy to work with and has a great flavor!

GINGERBREAD COOKIES (makes 2-4 dozen, depending on size)

3 cups flour
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup molasses
1 egg

MIX flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick, flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes.

BAKE on cookie sheet 7-10 minutes. Shorter times will produce softer cookies; longer times for crispy cookies. Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Decorate as desired.