Gingerbread Men 

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Serves: 30 person(s)

Preparation Time: 45 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Extra Time: 1 hr - 2 hrs (for refrigeration)

Yield: 30 x 1 cookie servings (2 1/2 dozen)

Liven up the holiday season with these cute, yummy cookies.

Suggestions:

For fun and variety, make various people-shaped cookies (cookie cutters can often be found in specialty shops).

Holiday ideas: Serve them at a holiday gathering, wrap them up for holiday gifts, and/or add them to the Christmas tree as decorations.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground cloves

1 cup buttery spread (such as Smart Balance) *

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup molasses

1 cup powdered sugar, divided

2 Tbsp skim milk

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Scrape bowl, add egg and molasses, and beat until smooth. Scrape down bowl and add reserved flour mixture. Blend on low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Separate dough into 3 balls and flatten into disks. Place each
disk in a re-closable plastic bag and remove excess air. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

After refrigeration, preheat oven to 350°F.

On a floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Flour gingerbread cookie cutter(s) and cut out dough with cutter(s). Place on a greased baking sheet about 1/2-inch apart. Gather scraps and re-roll dough until all is used. Bake 9 to 11 minutes in preheated oven. Transfer to a flat surface and cool.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Spoon icing into a pastry bag with a small round tip and decorate cookies as desired.

Variations:

* Original recipe calls for 1 cup butter (butter is not included in the nutritional analysis).

Author:

Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
WisDairy