Recipe for Old-Fashioned Gingerbread People (2024)

5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 cup molasses

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

assorted candies, pine nuts, and sliced almonds for decoration

1. Sift 5 cups of flour with baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a large bowl. Whisk well, to mix. Setaside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy, gradually adding brown sugar. Beat in egg. Add molasses and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until fluffy. Blend invanilla.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture 1 cup at a time, blending until smooth after each addition. If, after adding all of the flour, the dough still feels a little sticky, stir in another 1/4 to 1/2 cup offlour.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into thirds, then place each portion in the center of a 1-gallon plastic storage bag. Using your palms, flatten the dough into disks about 3/4-inch thick. Seal and refrigerateovernight.
5. The next day, remove dough from the refrigerator an hour before you plan to start baking. Roll the dough, while in the bag, to about half of its existing thickness. Return the dough to the fridge for anhour.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter several large baking sheets or line them with parchmentpaper.
7. Remove dough from the bag. Working on a sheet of floured waxed paper or parchment paper, roll the dough, one portion at a time, until it is slightly less than 1/4-inchthick.
8. Use gingerbread people cutters to cut the dough. (Remove the scraps, press them together into a dough ball, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rollingagain.)
9. Using a spatula, transfer the gingerbread shapes to the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch inbetween.
10. Press candy and pine nuts into the dough to make eyes and a nose. Use the sliced almonds for the mouth andbuttons.
11. Bake one sheet at a time on the center oven rack for 12 to 13 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack tocool.

• Plan to work this dough when your kitchen is the coolest: The dough will be easier tohandle.
• If the dough gets too soft when you’re rolling or handling it, simply slide it, waxed paper and all, onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes beforeproceeding.
• Press cinnamon red hots into the still-very-warm shapes to add facial features, buttons, belts, or other accessories. Use a thin ribbon of frosting for scarves orbelts.

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