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Gingerbread Men

The first gingerbread man is credited to the court of Queen Elizabeth I, who favored important visitors with charming gingerbread likenesses of themselves. Over the years, people began to bake batches of gingerbread men (and women!) at Christmas time to string from their tree and give as gifts to their guests.

Ingredients

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. ground ginger
1½ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
2 tbsp. water

You'll also need

People-shaped cookie cutters
Rolling pin
Icing pens (to draw their faces)

Directions

Mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl until it forms a creamy consistency.  Add the molasses, eggs and water, and continue mixing.  In a separate bowl, mix together the salt, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, cloves, baking soda and nutmeg.  Combine the dry mixture into the wet one and mix well.

Chill the mixture for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.  Then, roll the dough out into a flat disk over a floured surface and use the cookie cutters to cut out shapes.

Place the cookies an inch apart on a cookie sheet and bake for five minutes at 375° F.  Decorate the cookies after they've been cooled with fine-tipped icing pens.

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