Gingerbread People Recipe

Mix molasses, brown sugar, water and shortening.

Mix in remaining ingredients except frosting.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350.

Roll dough ¼ inch thick on floured board.

Cut with floured gingerbread cutter or other favorite shaped cutter.

Place about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam or greased.

Bake until no indentation remains when touched, about 10 to 12 minutes; cool.

Decorate with decorator’s frosting. Makes about 2 ½ dozen, 2 ½ inch cookies.

DECORATOR’S FROSTING 2 cups powered sugar 2 to 3 TBS. water (Go slow on adding water)

Food coloring of your choice Use just enough water to make a very stiff frosting that can be piped through a decorator’s tube, a cone made from waxed paper, or a zip lock baggy with just the very tip cut off. After combining your sugar and water, separate frosting into small bowls and add different food coloring as desired. I RECOMMEND buying decorator’s frosting already prepared with tips of different shapes that twist onto the tubes of frosting. Most stores carry this in the cake mix isle.

PLEASE NOTE This frosting sets like cement so that gingerbread people can be stacked once frosting dries. IT IS NOT the kind of frosting to ice a cake with. It has NO butter, vanilla, or salt.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES Decrease flour to 6 cups. Roll dough ½ inch thick and cut with floured 2 ½ inch round cutter. Place about 1 ½ inch apart on lighted greased cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes.