Gingerbread Cookies

This is the first in a series on holiday traditions.  And I had to start with my absolute favorite Christmas treat: gingerbread cookies!  I have experimented with many different gingerbread cookie recipes, and in my opinion, this one is by far the best.  They turn out nice and thick, and much softer and chewier than most recipes.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups of flour
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature (but not warm!), cut into pieces
¾ cup molasses
2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the dry ingredients first (the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt).  Use an electric mixer and mix well, then add the butter pieces.  When the butter is mixed in pretty well, add the molasses and milk.  Keep mixing until the dough is nice and moist.

Next, take a cookie sheet and line it with wax paper.  Scrape the dough onto the cookie sheet and roll it out.  Dust the rolling pin the flour to prevent sticking.  Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes until it is nice and firm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Then take it out and transfer the wax paper to a hard work surface.  Roll out the dough so it is pretty thin and cut out your cookies!  Place the cut cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies barely retain an imprint when touched very lightly with a fingertip.  for best results, allow the cookies to cool for about 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, then move them to a wire cooling rack.  Wait until they are completely cool to frost and decorate.

Enjoy!