Tips: Best Gingerbread Boys and Girls by Paula Deen

Christmas brings out the fun! And we love Gingerbread in our home. Whether it is a simple Trader Joe's homemade loaf or this amazing Gingerbread Recipe from Ms. Deen! It's tradition! This year I'm on the fence about the Gingerbread House or these Boys and Girls!




Gingerbread Boys and Girls
by Paula Deen

Ingredients:
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup molasses
3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
2 large eggs
1 stick butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1-2 tablespoon milk
Food coloring as desired

Directions
Using an electric mixer at low speed, cream the sugar and butter until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs and molasses and mix until combined. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine with a spoon or spatula.

Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap; place in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, until pliable. Take about 1/2 cup of dough at a time and roll onto a floured board until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out with gingerbread boy and girl cookie cutters. You can reroll the scraps. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies from the board to the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, until just beginning to brown at the edges. Transfer to wire racks to cool. To make the icing, combine the confectioners’ sugar and milk. Divide the mixture into thirds; leave one-third white, and color one-third green and the final third red. Decorate piping eyes, mouths, buttons, and bow ties. Recipe courtesy Paula Deen This recipe is one of our Gifts from the Kitchen. Click here to see other Gifts from the Kitchen.

Tasty and pretty, the perfect cookie to bake with your children or grandchildren! What are your Gingerbread traditions at Christmastime? If any... at least, I didn't ask about Fruit Cake Y'all! :) This Best Gingerbread Tip is posted at "Works For Me Wednesday!"

Warmly,