Gingerbread Men (or Gingerbread House)

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Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup dark molasses
7 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt

Preparation:
Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in Molasses. Sift together flour, soda, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Add the sifted ingredients to the butter mixture in about 3 parts, alternately with 1/2 cup water. The last of the flour may have to be worked in by hand.

Roll out the dough and cut with gingerbread men cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serving Suggestion:
Frost gingerbread men with a boiled white icing and let cool and harden (usually overnight). Gather around all the young children you can find and give them colored frosting and let them do the decorating.

Variation:
Use the same recipe for gingerbread and make a gingerbread house. You will need to cut out 4 rectangles about 4 inches by 8 inches for the sides of the house and the roof. Cut two 1 1/2 inch by 2 inch windows out of the sides for the house and fill them with colored life savers. The lifesavers will melt and look like stained glass windows when cool. Cut two ends of a house the shape of a box with a triangle on top. This will hold the roof. Cut the door in one end. Use a boiled white icing recipe to hold the pieces of house together. The white icing recipe works well for the snow on the roof of the house and on the ground around the house. Use your imagination and decorate the house to your liking.

 

 

History:
This recipe comes from The Joy of Cooking cookbook. You will find an excellent boiled white icing recipe in the same cookbook.