Gingerbread Cutouts

In 3-quart saucepan, heat sugar, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat, stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up in the pan). Stir in margarine or butter until melted. With fork, stir in egg, then flour. On lightly floured surface, knead dough until thoroughly mixed. Divide dough in half, wrap half of dough with plastic wrap and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. With floured rolling pin, roll half of dough slightly thinner than 1/4 inch. With floured 3- to 4-inch assorted cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible, reserve trimmings. Place cookies, 1/2 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Reroll trimmings and cut out more cookies. Bake cookies 12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. When cookies are cool, prepare Ornamental Frosting , use to decorate cookies as desired. Allow frosting to dry completely, about 1 hour. Store in tightly covered container up to 2 weeks.