Gingerbread Persons

Chef mariajane's Note:

This is an exciting Holiday recipe that you can do with your kids!! You will need a metal cookie cutter in the shape of a person. Any cookware store has metal cookie cutters in many different forms, and you won't have any different trouble finding one.

• Total Time: 7 mins
• Prep Time: 0 mins
• Cook Time: 7 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 10 4-inch ...

GINGERBREAD

• ½ cup butter , softened
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon allspice

BUTTER FROSTING

• 2 tablespoons butter , softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

BASIC CLEAR GLAZE

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Ceam the butter and sugar together, then beat in the molasses and egg.
2. In another bowl, add the flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir well with a fork so the dry ingredients are well mixed.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture and beat until the dough is thoroughly mixed. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about an hour, or until the dough is chilled.
4. Preheat the oven to 350F, and grease some cookie sheets.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough about 1/4-inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into Gingerbread persons - or any other shapes you wish. Transfer the cut pieces of dough to the prepared cookie sheets, placing them about 1-inch apart.
6. Bake for about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies to racks. Brush the cookies with Basic Clear Glaze when still warm or frost with Butter Frosting when cool,. Make faces and buttons with raisins, bits of citron or candied fruit, or little red cinnamon candies. If you wish, you may tint the icing in various colors and pipe it through a pastry bag fitted with a small rounded tip (the kind used for writing) to give the figures more details.
7. BUTTER FROSTING: Combine the butter and sugar in a small bowl and beat until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla and continue beating until smooth and well blended.
8. VARIATIONS:.
9. CHOCOLATE FROSTING: Sift 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa over the butter and sugar and proceed as directed.
10. LEMON FROSTING: Add 2 tablespoons grated lemon rind with the butter and sugar.
11. ORANGE FROSTING: Add 2 teaspoons grated orange rind with the butter and sugar.
12. RUM FROSTING: Decrease milk to 1 tablespoons and add 1 tablespoons rum.
13. BASIC CLEAR GLAZE: Glaze is brushed on cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. A glaze is a clear shiny coating that can be colored. After you spread a glaze on cookies, you can spread colored sugar granules over the glaze before it dries, or put some tiny candies over the glaze. The glaze hardens as it dries.
14. Mix the sugar and water together, mix well to dissolve any lumps and make a smooth runny glaze. Brush a spoonful on cookies while they are still warm (if the glaze is not runny enough, add a little more water). You can also make double the recipe if you are coating many cookies.
15. OPTIONAL: Assorted food colors come in small boxes in the supermarkets, Adjust a drop or two to the glaze and stir - if its too pale add a little more until desired color is reached -.