Gingerbread Men

                       Gingerbread Men

Hello Everybody,
So yesterday I started my Christmas baking, yay. I love making Christmasy treats, it is one of my favorite things. Christmas is my favorite holiday, there is just something in the air at this time of year that makes me happy inside.
Any who, Gingerbread men, it doesn't get much more Chrismasy then these little guys. I have been using this gingerbread recipe for, well since I started cooking really(about six years) and my whole family loves it, so here it is.

Ingredients.

   1 Cup butter, softened
   11/2 Cup dark brown sugar
   2/3 Cup molasses
   2 eggs
   2 Tablespoons water
   44/3 Cups flour
   2 teaspoons baking soda
   1 Tablespoon ground ginger
   1 teaspoon cinnamon
   1 teaspoon nutmeg

What to do.

    In a large mixing bowl, cream brown sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs, molasses and water to the butter sugar mixture. Beat until well combined. In another bowl combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to the butter mixture and mix well(When I double this recipe, I often will miss some of the flour mixture in the bottom of the mixing bowl)
You can refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes if you want to, but it's not really needed.

Preheat you're oven at 350.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a little until its in a smooth ball, roll out half of  the dough, until its about 1/8 inch thick. Now using you're lightly floured cookie cutter, cut out you're gingerbread men.

 Gently move the little men from the floured surface to a baking sheet.

 Place about two inches apart.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are starting to crinkle. Let the cookie set on the pan for a minute or two, then move to a cooling rack.
Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
Decorate as desired.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Anna.