Ingredients:

For the Dough:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Decorating:

• Royal icing (white, red, green)
• Mini chocolate chips or red candies for decoration
• Holiday-themed sprinkles

Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized whisk the flour, ground ginger. ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, baking and salt. Set aside
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy, which should take about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until well combined.
4. Gradually add the dry to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms, Divide the dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
5. Preheat your oven to 300’F (175’C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness, use Christmas-themed cookie cutters to cut out shapes like gingerbread men, stars, trees, and bells.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the cookies are slightly firm to the touch. Be careful not to overbake; you want them to remain soft in the center.
8. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes.
9. Once the cookies are completely cool, use royal icing to decorate them with festive designs. You can use white icing for the base, red and green icing for accents, and add mini chocolate chips or red candies for buttons or eyes.
10. Sprinkle holiday-themed sprinkles on top of the icing for extra decoration.
11. Allow the icing to set and harden before serving.