Ginger Cookies

I have never made gingerbread men before, nor have I ever piped icing on cookies, so don't judge my art work too critically.  Again, the recipe is a newspaper clipping from a Chicago area publication from the 1960's, give or take a decade.  This is an easy dough to make, and it is very pliable, even after chilling overnight in the 'fridge.  If I knew then what I know now, I would have divided the dough and worked with it a little at a time because it warms up to room temp very quickly.  The recipe says to roll the dough out on a lightly floured board.  Lightly floured didn't do it for me - it needed more.  My yield was 25 large gingerbread men, not the dozen that the recipe estimates.

I added butter and vanilla extract to the icing so I could pipe on the designs using a Roscan cookie press with assorted icing tips.

2-3/4 cups sifted flour

1/2 tsp soda

1 tsp ginger

1.2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

3/4 cup dark molasses

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp hot water

1 tsp vinegar

Sift flour, measure and sift with dry ingredients.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add molasses and egg and beat until smooth.  Fold in sifted dry ingredients.  Add water and vinegar and blend.  Cover dough and chill for at least 2 hours.

Roll out on lightly floured board to 1/4-inch thickness and cut with cooky cutters.  Place on greased cooky sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes.  Rmove from oven, cool and frost as desired.  Yield 24 small cookies or 12 gingerbread men.

Decorative Icing:

To one cup of sifted confectioners sugar, add enough cold milk or orange juice to make it of a spreading consistency.  Color with vegetable coloring as desired.