Gingerbread Boy Cookies

I love this time of year!  There is something magical about Christmas that makes me feel all tight inside.  I love that with this season comes traditions, traditions that I have grown up with and the new ones that I have started with my own little family.  Gingerbread boys are a tradition that started when I was small by my Grandma Pinegar and is now one that I do with my little ones.  Every year at the beginning of December my Grandma Pinegar would have all of the grandkids come to her house to make gingerbread boy chains.  In the "Big Room" there would be stacks of gingerbread boys, plastic wrap, curling ribbon, piping bags of icing and small bowls of red hots and chocolate chips.  With a little (or a lot of) help, all of the grandkids would make their own gingerbread boy chains to take home.  It was our own little advent calendar and every day we would get to eat a little gingerbread boy until Christmas day finally arrived.  The extra gingerbread boys were decorated with icing, chocolate chips, red hots and then eaten.  I am grateful for Christmas memories and traditions that make this time of year so wonderful and for a Grandma who loved us enough to make soooo many gingerbread boys!

Gingerbread Boy Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare cookies, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife.  Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and spices, stirring with a whisk.  Place butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg, and beat until well blended.  Beat in vanilla and molasses.  Reduce speed to low.  Add the flour mixture to butter mixture; beat just until combined.

Shape dough into a 4-inch round and cover with plastic wrap.  Chill for 1 hour.  Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.  Cut out cookies with a gingerbread boy cookie cutter, rerolling scraps as necessary.  Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 for 9 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on wire rack.

*I like my gingerbread boys crispy and so I rolled them a bit thinner than a 1/4-inch.

Recipe adapted slightly from Cooking Light Magazine