Gingerbread People Cookies

These classic cookies make great holiday ornaments: Prior to baking, make a hole in the top of each using a wooden pick; string baked, cooled cookies with yarn, and hang them on the tree or mantel.

Yield: 4 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

Ingredients

• 2 1/4  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground ginger
• 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cloves
• 6  tablespoons  granulated sugar
• 1/4  cup  butter or stick margarine, softened
• 1/2  cup  molasses
• 1  large egg white
• Cooking spray
• 2  tablespoons  dried currants
• 1 1/4  cups  powdered sugar
• 2  tablespoons  lemon juice
• 1/4  teaspoon  vanilla extract

Preparation

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour and next 7 ingredients (flour through cloves) in a bowl, and set aside. Combine granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer 5 minutes. Add molasses and egg white; beat well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until well-blended. Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Working with 1 half of dough at a time (keep remaining half chilled until ready to use), roll the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a heavily floured surface; cut with a 2 1/2-inch boy or girl cookie cutter. Place gingerbread cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Arrange currants on cookies as buttons. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a small bowl. Spoon into a decorating bag or a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag with a tiny hole snipped in 1 corner of bag, and decorate as desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

59 (15% from fat)

Fat:

1g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.3g)

Protein:

0.7g

Carbohydrate:

11.9g

Fiber:

0.2g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

0.5mg

Sodium:

38mg

Calcium:

13mg

Find more delicious, all-time favorite cookie recipes in our 25-Days to Christmas Cookie Countdown., Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1998