Can you believe it is December 13th, and I haven't baked a single Christmas cookie yet? Well, I personally think that that is just silly. What with this work stuff, final paper writing (8 pages down, 10 or so to go!), and having a wee cold, I've fallen a bit behind on the most important thing-- spreading holiday cheer!!
Not to fear, these little fellows and their snowy friends perked me right up! The perfect way to pass a dreary Sunday night. As a small note, I'd say the perfect positioning of a dragee is an incredibly satisfying occupation. Can one get a job decorating Christmas cookies year round? Something to ponder....
They're here and they want you to eat them!
I love how as you go along, even though you cut them all from the same mold, each and every gingerbread man has a personality all his own. I call these two Fats and Gonzo, for reasons I think are quite apparent...
The one on the left here looks kind of tipsy to me, something about the smile. What about the guy on the right, he has a definite look about him, but I can't put my finger on it. Thoughts?
Oh, and these little beauties taste as good as they look. Here's the magic formula! They're pretty sticky, so make sure to be very free with the flour when you are rolling them out.
GINGERBREAD MEN
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg yolk
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp each of baking soda and baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add molasses and egg yolk. Mix well. Add all the dry ingredients, and mix just until it looks like ginger cookie dough. Chill at least 2 hours. Roll it out and cut out any shape that suits you! Bake at 350 for about 5-7 minutes. They bake up REALLY fast, keep your eyes on them. You want them to be nice and soft, right?
DECORATE!! Obsessively, in my case.
I used a simple powdered sugar/milk mixture for the icing and plenty of lovely silver and red dragees. Oh, and by the way, although there are many people who say you can eat them, there are just as many who say it's really not a good idea to do so. I'm in favor of playing it safe and not ingesting the little buggers, but it's your call. As always, this most important thing is to HAVE FUN and BE MERRY! They're Christmas cookies after all!
2 comments:
I think that gingerbread man looks shifty, like he wants to run down the street and steal a stereo. You could call him Brooklyn ghetto?
I baked my first batch of cookies the other day, but they were earl gray tea cookies and not Christmas-y enough. I have to wait till I get home to do the rest.
My fam uses red hots for the eyes. A good alternative if you want to be able to eat them with out a worry.
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