Recipe: Gingerbread cookies

Hello! Happy holidays! Welcome to the week of Christmas. Every day this week up until Saturday the 25th, I will post an entry featuring--of course--food. So let the blogging and cooking begin...

As with most desserts containing warm, rich spices of ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and/or cinnamon, gingerbread cookies are a tasty holiday treat. I usually like to bake these and snickerdoodles to give away during Christmas. I'm posting the recipe a few days before Christmas just in case you'd like to have them all wrapped up in pretty ribbon for your guests by the holiday.

The first time I ever bit into a gingerbread man was when I was in the seventh grade, and my friend, Jennifer, had baked a dozen as my Christmas present. They came neatly wrapped inside a paper box designed to look like a little gingerbread house. At first, I didn't think I'd like the spicy cookies--I didn't like much of anything with ginger in them, let alone dessert--but I was pleasantly surprised that the cookies were very delicious. In fact, the spices made them perfect for munching on a cold winter's day. Gobble them up with a glass of milk by the fire, and you've got a true American Christmas. And as always, if the Blind can Cook it, you can too.

A photo will be posted as soon as I bake them and get John to take a picture.

Recipe: Gingerbread Cookies

Summary: An easy recipe that doesn't require molasses. Originally from All Recipes. Number of cookies made depends on the size of your cookie cutter. Usually makes 15 to 30 cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 (3.5 oz.) pkg. butterscotch pudding mix
• 1.5 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1.5 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. butter, softened

Instructions

1. In a med. bowl, cream together butterscotch mix, butter, and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in egg.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon. Stir in the pudding mixture. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hr.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet.
4. On a floured board, roll out dough to 1/8" thickness using a rolling pin. Use a cookie cutter (I have both gingerbread man and mitten shapes) to cut into shapes. Place about 1" apart on the cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 min. or until edges are golden brown. Cool on a cooling rack. Decorate with frosting if desired.

Cooking time (duration): 45

Diet type: Vegetarian

Meal type: dessert

Culinary tradition: USA (Traditional)

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