Gingerbread Men

This is my first time making these Gingerbread Men.  I have made ginger cookies and cakes before, but never these.  I thought it would be fun to decorate them and then eat them with a nice cup of coffee.

Have your children help you to decorate these cookies, they will have a lot of fun. 

For the eyes and mouth I used Wilton tip #2, and for the body I used Wilton tip #5.  These are round tips that you can purchase at a local cake store or a craft store like Michaels Craft store.  To color the frosting I used red and just plain white frosting.

Roll out the dough and cut the cookies out.  You can make them small or big, you decide.

These are ready to be decorated.  It's really important to let them cool down.  Never decorate the cookies if they are still warm.

I had so much fun decorating these little men.  You can decorate them however you want.  Make their little faces and dress them up.  Use food coloring to tint the frosting.  I decided to use just red and white, Christmas colors, but get as creative as you want. Have fun!!

Cookies Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 egg

2/3 cup unsulphured molasses

Confectioners Frosting

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tbsp milk or light cream

In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices.  In the bowl of your electric mixer with your paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat until well combined.Gradually add the flour beating until incorporated.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each half with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours or overnight).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.  Use a gingerbread cutter, to cut out the cookies.  With an offset spatula lift the cookies onto the cooking sheets, placing about 1 inch apart.  If you are hanging the cookies or using as gift tags, make a whole at the top with a straw or end of a skewer.   If the cookies are still a little soft, place the cookie sheet with the cookies in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes

Bake for about 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookies.  They are done when firm and the edges are beginning to brown.  Take cookies out of the oven and cool on cookie sheet for about a minutes,, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  

If desire you can press raisins or currants into the cookie while it's still warm to create eyes or buttons. Otherwise confectioners frosting can be used to decorate the cookies. 

Confectioners Frosting for Decorating Cookies

In an electric mixer beat the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract.  With the mixer on low gradually add the sugar.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and beater. Add milk and beat until light and fluffy. Add more milk if needed.  Tint frosting with food coloring. Place the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and decorate the gingerbread men as desire. 

Makes about 4 dozen depending on size of cookies

Source: Joy of Baking