Gingerbread Snowflakes

Serves: 4

Amie Torphy

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

52

Spice

41

Sweetness

38

Sourness

41

mins

Prep time (avg)

3.9

Difficulty

Ingredients:

1 tbsp

Ground Ginger

1.5 tsps

Ground Cinnamon

2 tsps

Baking Soda

1 tsp

Salt

Directions:

1

Bring molasses, brown sugar, and spices to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat

2

Stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up), then stir in butter 3 pieces at a time, letting each addition melt before adding next, until all butter is melted

3

Add egg and stir until combined, then stir in 3 3/4 cups flour and salt

4

Preheat oven to 325°F

5

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting with as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent sticking, until soft and easy to handle, 30 seconds to 1 minute

6

Halve dough, then wrap 1 half in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature

7

Roll out remaining dough into a 14-inch round (1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface

8

Cut out as many cookies as possible with cutters and carefully transfer with offset spatula to 2 buttered large baking sheets, arranging them about 1 inch apart

9

Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes total (watch carefully toward end of baking; cookies can burn easily)

10

Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely

11

Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (reroll once)

12

Put icing in pastry bag (if using) and pipe or spread decoratively onto cookies

13

Bring molasses, brown sugar, and spices to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat

14

Stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up), then stir in butter 3 pieces at a time, letting each addition melt before adding next, until all butter is melted

15

Add egg and stir until combined, then stir in 3 3/4 cups flour and salt

16

Preheat oven to 325°F

17

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting with as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent sticking, until soft and easy to handle, 30 seconds to 1 minute

18

Halve dough, then wrap 1 half in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature

19

Roll out remaining dough into a 14-inch round (1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface

20

Cut out as many cookies as possible with cutters and carefully transfer with offset spatula to 2 buttered large baking sheets, arranging them about 1 inch apart

21

Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes total (watch carefully toward end of baking; cookies can burn easily)

22

Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely

23

Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (reroll once)

24

Put icing in pastry bag (if using) and pipe or spread decoratively onto cookies