Hot chocolate, crackling fire and Christmas carols in the background are perfect ingredients for trimming the tree. ‘Tis the season for traditions, eggnog and holiday cookies.
One of my favorite memories of Christmas past is making whimsical shaped gingerbread cookies and adding a little hole at the top before popping in the oven. After decorating the little guys with icing, we added a pretty red snip of yarn, tied into an uneven bow and place them lovingly on the Christmas tree.
Keeping the tradition alive, we are again rolling out dough. These little guys will be for eating, not for the tree and are a bit more like pillows than hard tack.
Gingerbread People Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1.1/2 cups dark molasses
- 2/3 cup cold water
- 7 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Icing
- Mix shortening, sugar and molasses thoroughly and stir in water.
- Sift together and blend all dry ingredients: stir into mixture and chill.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough 1/4″ thick on lightly floured board. Cut with gingerbread or other shaped cutter. Place 1″ apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 mins., or until no imprint remains when touched lightly.
- Decorate with icing after completely cooled.