Gingerbread Men
Cookies:
- 2 tablespoons dark molasses
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 large whole egg
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups (lightly packed) brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 16 pieces
Icing:
- 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- whole milk, as needed
Make the cookies: In a small bowl, whisk together the molasses, water, and egg and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, orange zest, and all the spices. Add the butter one piece at a time on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the molasses mixture and beat until the dough comes together. Remove the dough from the mixer and place on a surface. Knead for a few seconds and split into two halves. Roll the dough into two disc shapes and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Take one disc from the refrigerator and roll out to about ¼” thick on a clean, non-floured surface. Using cookie cutters, make as many gingerbread people as will fit. Take the scraps and roll out again and make more people. Repeat until all dough is used, including other disc from the refrigerator.
Bake gingerbread men for 12-14 minutes, or until slightly firm. They should not brown on the edges.
Make the icing: Combine the confectioners’ sugar and as much milk as needed to make the icing spreadable, as well as any food dye you wish to use. Spoon into an icing bag, or just a Ziploc bag, and decorate the cooled gingerbread men.