Ginger family

Bahahaha. I saw this box of cookies at Safeway the other day.



Not the best choice of words, I must say, but I certainly found it pretty freakin hilarious.
Anyway, I am not the biggest fan of gingerbread cookies, but I thought I would give Martha Stewart's gingerbread recipe. I really feel like I should be doing a "Julie and Julia" with me and Martha Stewart's holiday recipes, since that is the main source of my recipes for this season (I bought her holiday cookie magazine a few weeks ago and her holiday desserts one last year). But I am making other recipes too, and I'm only making a selection of the Martha recipes.
Anyhow....I made these gingerbread men for my friends in the Youth Company on friday since it was Nutcracker time and I figured we could use some holiday treats. I actually liked the way they tasted better than any other gingerbread cookie recipes I've tried in the past.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup softened butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
2 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups all-purpose flour (plus some for work surface)



1. Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add egg; mix well. Beat in molasses, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking soda, and salt. Reduce speed to low, and add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Divide dough into quarters; shape into disks. Wrap each well in plastic; chill 3 hours or up to 1 day.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 disk of dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out shapes using gingerbread people cutters and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough.

3. Bake, 2 sheets at a time, rotating halfway through, until cookies are firm to touch, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer cookies on a wire rack to cool completely. Ice and sugar as desired.



As I said, I actually enjoyed them, which is unusual for me since I don't really like gingerbread. The whole process was quite a production though, and I am happy that they are a once-a-year kind of thing.

Peace. Love. Gingerpeople.