Ginger Spice Girls & Boys

Gingerbread men recipes usually include cloves and allspice, but my children liked their gingerbread with cinnamon and nutmeg instead.

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Mix dough the night before and chill overnight, or chill dough at least 2-3 hours before rolling and cutting shapes. Cold dough will be easier to work with.

• 1/3 cup softened butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup light molasses
• 2 tsp. baking soda in 2 tsp hot water
• 2-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• optional: cinnamon candy hearts

Cream the butter and sugar in your mixer. Add the beaten egg and molasses. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water, then add and mix.

In a separate bowl, blend the sifted flour, cinnamon and ginger with a whisk (or stir thoroughly).

Add flour by spoonful to the butter mixture, mix well.

Wrap the dough and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Find your gingerbread cookie cutters! Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll the dough on a well-floured board, cut into shapes.

Thinner Ginger Girls will be "snappy," roll them thicker and they will be softer. 

Roll out a few Gingerbread Boys and make your own Gingerbread Boy Band. Decorate each Boy with a candy heart.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes.

Remove with spatula onto wire racks to cool completely.

Decorate with icing. Prepared icing in squeeze tubes that you can buy at the store are easier for children to handle than an icing bag.

Kids have fun "dressing" their Spice Girls

Decorate your Gingerbread Boys with a big smile--and do not let your children pick off their candy hearts. If they do, they must not complain when you start to sing, "Quit Playing Games With My Heart...."