Cocoa Gingerbread Cookies

This is such a wonderful twist on holiday gingerbread cookies! I cut these out with cookie cutters and dust them lightly with powdered sugar after removing them from the cookie sheet after baking. Can also be decorated with decorator icing. I believe the recipe is from a Land O' Lakes grocery store impulse buy cookbook that my mom picked up one holiday season.

• Ready In: 23 mins
• Serves: 36
• Yields: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup butter or 1⁄4 cup margarine, softened
• 2  tablespoons shortening
• 1⁄3 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup molasses
• 1  egg
• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄4 cup  unsweetened cocoa
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Cream together butter, shortening, brown sugar and molasses in a large bowl.
3. Add egg; beat until light.
4. Ina separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves.
5. Blend into creamed mixture until smooth.
6. Refrigerate until firm.
7. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out with cookie cutters.
8. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
9. Bake 8-10 minutes or until firm.
10. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
11. Decorator Icing: Combine 4 c powdered sugar and 2 T milk in a large bowl. Mix until smooth. Add 1 tsp almond or lemon extract. Mix well. Add milk is necessary until smooth and glossy.