Gingerbread

Grace got her hair done today and it looks really pretty. We went to “the big bag of rusty nails” for lunch and it was yummy. 

 Ethan wanted to make gingerbread cookies. They turned out amazing. Maybe the best gingerbread cookies I have ever had. I’m going to save the recipe. 

I also made carnitas from the favorite things party cook book and they were also delicious. It was a good cooking day.

Most noteworthy, after being on the waiting list for 10 months we finally made it to next in line for

The Mayo Clinic. In March we will go there for a whole study and hopefully some great help and advice for EDS. A long awaited miracle!

Also it’s super cold and getting colder!

Ingredients 

For Gingerbread Men

• ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g) 
• ½ cup light or dark brown sugar tightly packed (100g)
• ½ cup unsulphured molasses (120ml) (I use Grandma's or Brer Rabbit brand and avoid using blackstrap)
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour (345g)
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For Icing:

• 3 cups powdered sugar sifted (375g)
• 2-4 Tablespoons milk
• 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Decorative candies and sprinkles as desired

• 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Decorative candies and sprinkles as desired

Instructions

For Cookies:

• Combine butter, sugar, and molasses and use an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment to beat until ingredients are creamy and well-combined.
• Stir in egg and vanilla extract until well-combined. The mixture may look piecey/like it's separating, this is fine and it will come together when you add the dry ingredients.
• In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg).
• With mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until the dough is smooth, cohesive, and completely combined.
• Divide the dough into two parts (it will be quite sticky, use a spatula) and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Rolling and Cutting Cookies

• Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (alternatively bake cookies directly on ungreased baking sheet)
• Generously flour a clean surface and lightly flour the dough as well (see note).
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to be approximately ¼” (.6cm) thick, and use a cookie cutter (my cookie cutter for these was about 3.5” long) to cut out shapes. 
• Use a spatula to place cookies on prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 2" apart and then transfer to 375F (190C) oven, and bake for 8-10 minutes.
• Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before decorating. 

Gingerbread Cookie Icing

• Combine sugar, 2 Tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl and stir until combined. Look for a consistency where the icing that drizzles off the spoon and back into the bowl holds its shape for several seconds before dissolving back into the rest of the icing. If frosting is too thick, add more milk, about a teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is thick but pipeable. If too thin, add additional powdered sugar until desired texture is reached.
• Transfer to a piping bag with a piping tip (I used Wilton #5), or place in a Ziploc bag and snip a small piece of the corner off. Pipe frosting on cookies and decorate with decorative candies, if desired.
• Allow frosting to harden before enjoying (this took only about 30 minutes for me, but may take longer if your frosting is wetter)
• Keep uneaten cookies sealed in an airtight container at room temperature.