Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies and White Decorating Icing

I made and decorated these cookies with my children as part of our holiday celebrating, they are so very yummy.  Have a great holiday season everyone!!!

Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

2 ¾ cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup butter (at room temperature)

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

¾ cup molasses

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.  Using an electric mixer cream together the butter and brown sugar.  Add the egg and molasses on medium speed until combined.  Lastly mix in the flour mixture.  Divide the dough into three dough balls and wrap each in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  On a floured piece of parchment paper roll out each ball of dough to about ¼ inch thick.  Set the flattened dough in the freezer for about 15 minutes (until firm).  Use cookie cutters of your choice to cut the dough into shapes.  Place the dough shapes on the prepared cookie sheets.  Bake for 12-14 minutes then cool on a wire rack.  Decorate with White Decorating Icing (see below), and sprinkles/candy as desired.

White Decorating Icing

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup soft butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ tablespoons milk

Using an electric mixer blend all ingredients together until smooth, with no lumps.

By Miriam Barton in promotion for The Pioneer Cookbook: Recipes For Today's Kitchen.

This recipe is being shared with the Hearth and Soul Hop, Take It From Me,  KB and Whitesnakes Home Simply Delish, My Meatless Mondays, Bake with Bizzy, Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday