This dough freezes very well, as do the baked gingerbread cookies, so get ahead on your holiday baking by making a few batches now. The recipe is from Anna Olson’s book Another Cup of Sugar. This recipe has not been tested by the Chatelaine Test Kitchen.
NOTES
* This recipe calls for blackstrap molasses, normally used in bread recipes. It has a deep, dark colour and a slightly stronger flavour. It makes for some really good-looking gingerbread men. * For everyday eating I like to use butter in this recipe, but for gingerbread houses or ornaments, I use vegetable shortening. * If you’re using cookies as decoration, put a small hole where a string will go to tie it after cutting out your shapes. * For icing (see Iced Gingerbread Cookies, page 172 of the above-referenced book), play with the consistency by adding a touch more icing sugar or water. Using disposable piping bags makes for easy clean-up, and you don’t even need to buy piping tips – just snip the end off the piping bag.