Gingerbread Cookies

I am going to do this in two series, or it becomes an all day process for me, and I know, we all have a lot to do during the Holidays.

These are nice in the aspect that you can break this down to a three day project and include family members or attend to other projects.

Mix one day, bake the next, ice the following day.

Here we go:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of butter softened
3.4 oz of instant butterscotch pudding
1 egg
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Beat the butter, sugar, egg and pudding mix until well mixed in a large bowl. I soften the butter for 10 second intervals in the microwave, so that my butter is more of a liquid.  This helps break down the sugar.

I pour about a third of the flour, baking soda, ground ginger and ground cinnamon and mix in the bowl with the butter sugar mixture.  By the time I get to the last third, I mix with my hands.  If it is a little too dry, I just wet my hands with water, if too wet, then just a little bit more flour.

Once you have the consistency of dough you need, refrigerate this for at least one hour.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface.  I roll this out to about 1/4 inch thick.  Using your cookie cutters cut out shapes and place on an greased cookie sheet. (I'm making mushroom this year, so I am using an egg shaped cookie cutter and a heart) I use the Pampered Chef stoneware, so I have noticed, I never have to grease.  Some of my pieces are so seasoned from using over and over they are so dark brown, I dare not show, but they do the best job.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.  

 Cool on baking pan for at least 3 minutes and once cooled transfer these to wire racks.  I let them cool for at least and hour before I start decorating.  

So once you have all this done, and they are completely cooled, place them in an airtight container and come back tomorrow and we will start to decorate our cookies!!!


Don't eat any!!! Well, maybe just one!!!

adapted from the recipes of: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/gingerbread-people-62218.aspx

See you tomorrow,

Debra