Gingerbread Cookies

To update you with my previous post on Project Gingerbread Cookies, we finally made it this morning.  My kids both asked me as soon as they woke up about the Christmas cookies we are going to make.   Well, I got the recipe from Joy of Baking.  For her butter ingredient, I substitute it with Crisco all-vegetable shortening.  The last time I used shortening was the time I made a homemade donuts, so I still have enough and I don’t want to waste.  The molasses that I got was darker that’s why my dough and cookies were darker in color.  While rolling the dough, I needed more flour because the dough was still soft even after refrigerating it overnight.  I put back the dough in fridge for more than 10 minutes while preparing for the cutters and table for my kids to work on.  The first batch of cutting cookies were clean and neat.  For other batches, my kids played on the dough, enjoyed rolling, adding flour and cutting.  They had fun!  It was a mess but seeing them enjoying made me so so happy.  I baked the small cookies to 12 minutes and for the large cookies I baked them more than 15 minutes.  When the cookies were done, (cookies not totally cool yet) my kids grabbed on the cookies and ate it happily!  They were really proud on what they did.  It was team work!!  

Here’s the ingredient from Joy of Baking (except for the shortening, original - butter)

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  
• 1/2 cup Crisco All-vegetable shortening
  
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 2/3 cup molasses

Here’s what we did:

In separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and spices.  Set aside. In mixing bowl, beat the shortening and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy.  Add egg and molasses, mix until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating until incorporated. Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight. Prepare a clean surface for the rolling of the dough.  Sprinkle flour and place the dough.  Roll the dough until you reach 1/4 inch thickness.  (I actually worked the dough in glad paper with flour and did the rolling then put the glad paper with dough in a baking tray).  While rolling I added more flour because the dough was still sticky.  Return to fridge for at least 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F / 177C and place rack in the center of the oven. Prepare your cookie tray with glad paper. Use cookie cutters to cut it out.  Lift carefully the cut-out dough with offset spatula and place in baking sheets.  If you used small and large cookie cutter, I suggest you put them in different tray because the baking time for small and large are different. Bake large cookie for at least 15 to 18  minutes.  And bake small cookie for 8 to 12 minutes.  They are done when they are firm. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool in baking sheet for about 5 minutes.  Check first if they are completely firm and that’s the time you transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

About the frosting, I wasn't able to do that.  I know it is better not to miss the frosting especially if you have the gingerbread man cutter and other holiday cutters. For the taste, it was good!!  Molasses tastes good in cookies.  The small cookies were crunchy.  My kids wants to do it again, hmm maybe I will try other cookie.