by Joan Inong

Created on: December 23, 2008

Gingerbread is one of those foods that have a reminiscent quality to them. The smell of gingerbread reminds us of the holidays and of special sweets that have their own unique flavor. However, many people think that making gingerbread is difficult. It can, of course, sometimes result in hard cookies that can literally break teeth. But, with a good recipe, patience, and practice, you'll get delicious gingerbread cookies that will surprise even the most hard-to-please taste buds.

I made this gingerbread recipe a couple of years ago when I wanted to build my own gingerbread house from scratch. Of course, you don't have to make a gingerbread house to utilize this recipe. You can use cookie cutters, too.

You'll need:

c. sweet butter, at room temperature, diced (or, you can quickly bring butter to room temperature by microwaving at ten-second intervals. Don't allow it to melt completely.)

Generous c. light brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 c. black molasses or light corn syrup

3 c. self-rising flour

1 t. ground ginger (for extra taste, you can also add candied ginger in place of t. of ground ginger)

Cream the butter and sugar in a large glass bowl. Beat in the egg and molasses (or syrup), then add the flour and ginger. This will make a thick paste. Lightly flour your working surface and turn the mixture onto the surface. Knead lightly until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least half an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out the dough to about 1/3", and use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, depending on how large or small your cookies are. Cool on a wire rack.

If you want to make a gingerbread house, you have to find a template, either online or in a cookie book, that has exact measurements for the walls and roof of the house. If you don't use exact measurements, your house will collapse or it will be too difficult to put it together. I've seen regular "gingerbread houses" that were one-dimensional. These aren't as awe-inspiring as the three-dimensional ones, but if you don't want to work too hard then these are a good option. You can make your own icing or purchase it, but either way, it's a great way to involve the kids with baking. To decorate your cookies, use multi-colored candies, sugar flowers, or silver balls.

To make your own decorative icing, you can mix together 6 tablespoons sweet cream butter with 1 cup of confectioner's sugar, or enough to hold the mixture together. Add food coloring to enhance the icing's appeal. You can even poke holes at the top of your cookies (using a toothpick) right before you bake them. Make sure that the holes are big, because the cookies will expand and if the holes are too small they will close up. Thread some thin ribbon through the holes and use the cookies as ornaments. Gingerbread cookies are also great for sharing; take part in the holiday season and give some to friends and family today.

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