Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼– ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup shortening
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 2⁄3 cup molasses
- 4½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried egg-white powder (I prefer this over raw egg whites)
- 6 tablespoons warm water
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sift dry ingredients into a small bowl. In another bowl, beat butter and shortening until creamy. Add brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses and mix to combine thoroughly.
At low speed, slowly add in flour mixture. Divide dough into 2 balls. Flatten into disks, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
When ready to make the cookies, remove 1 disk from refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature until it’s easy to handle. Place on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough to ¼ inch thick and cut out cookies.
Transfer cookies to parchment-lined sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake until edges are slightly brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack before decorating. Frost/decorate with Royal Icing recipe.
Royal Icing
In a mixing bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the sugar, egg-white powder and water until well-combined. Increase the speed to high and keep mixing until it’s shiny, stiff, and thick enough to pipe in a pastry bag. When ready to use, load up your pastry bag(s) and get creative!
About this recipe
Adapted from Rick Rodgers’s recipe in Christmas 101 (Random House, 1999).
Visit mydeliciousblog.com for more delicious recipes.
