Making Memories Monday and Gingerbread Cookies

Saturday night we grilled steaks outside. All 5 children were home as well as my son-in-law and our son’s girlfriend. Abby, our five year old granddaughter, was here too. After supper Rachel mixed up some gingerbread cookies with Abby.

Rachel and Justin’s girlfriend, Jessi, helped Abby roll out the dough and decorate them. Basically all I did was clean up after them but it was fun to watch.

I asked Abby if she knew the story about the gingerbread man and she assured me she did.

“What did he do?” I asked her.

“He ran as fast as he could,” she said as she squirted icing on a cookie.

“Why did he run so fast?” I asked.

She shrugged her little shoulders. “I guess he was in a hurry.”

I should have known better than to quiz her while she was busy.

If you decide you want to make these cookies the recipe follows. By the way, they make your house smell divine!

Recipe is from PaulaDeen.com

Ingredients:

2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup molasses
3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
2   large eggs
1   stick butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1-2 tablespoon milk
Food coloring as desired

Directions

Using an electric mixer at low speed, cream the sugar and butter until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs and molasses and mix until combined. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine with a spoon or spatula.

Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap; place in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, until pliable. Take about 1/2 cup of dough at a time and roll onto a floured board until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out with gingerbread boy and girl cookie cutters. You can reroll the scraps. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies from the board to the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, until just beginning to brown at the edges. Transfer to wire racks to cool. To make the icing, combine the confectioners’ sugar and milk. Divide the mixture into thirds; leave one-third white, and color one-third green and the final third red. Decorate piping eyes, mouths, buttons, and bow ties. Recipe courtesy Paula Deen This recipe is one of our Gifts from the Kitchen. Click here to see other Gifts from the Kitchen.

Servings: 18 to 24 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters
Prep Time: 1 hour 50 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Difficulty: Easy

Show: Paula’s Home Cooking/Paula Deen and Friends cookbook Pg. 100/Christmas with Paula Deen book