Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, at room temp.

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

Frosting - sets up like royal icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp liquid (milk, rum, limoncello...)

1/4 tsp vanilla - if you are using milk

2 tsp karo syrup

white sanding sugar

food coloring

Instructions:

Whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, gloves, salt and baking soda together in a bowl and set aside.
With a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and creamy.
Beat in vanilla, egg and molasses until combined.
Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then add the remaining flour. Mix just until incorporated.
Divide dough and roll each between 2 pieces of parchment paper and refrigerate until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut out shapes with cookie cutter and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to cooling racks.

For Frosting:

Using a wire whisk, mix first three ingredients. Play with liquid and sugar proportions until it is to your liking. Once it is to the consistency you like, add karo syrup and food coloring if desired.
Use much like regular royal icing. Pipe a thicker consistency around the edges and let dry a couple of hours.
Then use a thinner mixture to flood the middle and sprinkle with white sanding sugar.
Let frosting dry before piping details.
Leave cookies out to dry fully (several hours) before storing in an airtight container.