Gingerbread Men Recipe

How to make it

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• Into a bowl, combine flour, baking soda,salt, ginger,nutmeg,cinnamon,allspice & cloves.
• Set this mixture aside...
• In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar and molasses thoroughly.
• Stir in the flour mixture, and mix until well combined .
• Use your hands -- if you don’t like the idea of doing this, you can use plastic gloves to handle the dough.
• Form this dough into four balls.
• Wrap these in waxed paper or plastic storage bags and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
• Make gingerbread-man shaped design out of heavy cardboard -- or use a cookie cutter in desired shape....
• Preheat your oven about 5 minutes to 375*F...
• Remove only one ball of dough at a time, to cut--- the dough should stay cold to work with-- it retains its shape better.
• Press currants into the dough for eyes and buttons...
• Make mouth with tip of knife, cutting into a smiling \/ shape.
• Bake about 8 minutes or until golden brown.
• emove at once and cool --
• this recipe should make about 2 dozen cookies.
• *****Hint-- for softer cookies, remove from oven sooner.
• For harder, crisper cookies-- leave in the oven about 1 minute longer.
• Icing
• 1 egg white
• 2 cups sugar
• In medium bowl, beat the egg white with the sugar, adding sugar gradually.
• When all the sugar is added, add one tbsp of water.
• Beat until the mixture is smooth and stiff.
• Using a pastry bag with writing tip (or tip of your preference) pipe this onto each cookie to shape jacket, pants, shorts, caps, etc........ the more variety and color, the better.
• . *****Hint: If you are coloring this icing, check consistency for addition of vegetable coloring.
• If you need to thicken it a little more, add a touch more sugar and beat again to desired consistency.