Tuesday, January 19, 2010

9. Eileen's Spicy Gingerbread Men

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg yolk
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves 
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg


DIRECTIONS:
1. In large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth.  Stir in molasses and egg yolk.  Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and spices and blend into the molasses mixture until smooth.  Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.  When chilling any dough, it helps to spread the dough out in the bowl (metal bowls are best) and to mix and spread out again every so often..just like distributing the heat when using a microwave.  I even stick things in my deep freezer and mix often and it cuts chill time in about a third. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.  Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven until firm (preheating a oven takes an average of 8 minutes).  Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.  Frost or decorate when cool. 

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