Gingerbread Cookies

When Dominic and I made this gingerbread cookie batter up recently, we had high hopes that we would be making gingerbread men. Well, by the time the batter chilled in the fridge, we had dinner and then Dominic had his nightly bath, it was 9:30 p.m.! Since I had promised him that we would make gingerbread men, and I don't like to break a promise, I quickly decided they would become gingerbread cookies. I rolled them into balls and then put red sugar on one plate and green sugar on another plate, handed Dominic a glass and let him press down on each cookie. In less than 15 minutes, they were done! A few days later, I made up the rest of the cookie dough and then headed out to make two "deliveries." I felt a bit like a holiday "elf." My first delivery was to a local marketing company that publish a magazine that has featured my recipes for several months. The second delivery was to a friend of mine who will be helping me with a project for the disability ministry. Later, she told me her husband said, "that's what a molasses cookie is supposed to be like, both the flavor and the consistency were just what it should be - not too soft and not too crisp!" Cool, that made my day!

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 teaspoons ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

In large bowl, put the butter and light brown sugar. Cream by hand with large spoon or use an electric mixer. Add the molasses, egg and vanilla extract. Set aside. In medium bowl, put the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Mix with large spoon and then gradually add to the mixture in the large bowl. Combine well and then cover with plastic wrap. Chill in fridge a minimum of three hours. When ready to bake, roll into 4 1/2 dozen equal sized balls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a dozen balls at a time onto ungreased cookie sheets. If desired, press the bottom of a drinking glass into colored sugar and then press gently. Bake for 12 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are starting to turn brown. Remove to wire rack to cool. Store covered at room temperature.