From MCCORMICK

Makes 24 cookies

These Gingerbread Men Cookies are as cute as can be! If desired, decorate with raisins, currants, or cinnamon red hot candies for eyes and buttons. You can also pipe untinted or MCCORMICK Colorful Royal Icing onto cookies for an added holiday touch…see recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons MCCORMICK Ground Ginger

1 teaspoon MCCORMICK Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon MCCORMICK Ground Nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

1 teaspoon MCCORMICK All Natural Pure Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS

1.Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.

2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

3.Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.

COLORFUL ROYAL ICING

Makes 16 servings

Royal icing is very versatile. Use to ice cookies or decorate cakes. Or use to decorate or glue together gingerbread houses.

INGREDIENTS

1 box (16 ounces) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

6 tablespoons warm water

3 tablespoons powdered egg whites

1 teaspoon MCCORMICK All Natural Pure Vanilla Extract

MCCORMICK Assorted Food Color & Egg Dye

DIRECTIONS
1.Place confectioners’ sugar, water, powdered egg whites, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer on high speed, 5 to 7 minutes until stiff peaks form and icing is fluffy and glossy.

2.For each color of icing, place 1/2 cup icing in bowl. Stir in 3 to 4 drops food color until evenly distributed and icing is smooth. Add additional drops food color until icing is of desired color. (Keep remaining icing covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying.)

3.To ice cookies, place cooling rack on foil-lined baking sheet. Spoon icing onto cookies using a teaspoon. Cookies can also be iced using a new small paintbrush. Place iced cookies on cooling rack to dry.

4.Use contrasting icing colors to decorate iced cookies, if desired. Place small amount of contrasting icing in small resealable plastic bag. Snip off tiny piece of the corner of the plastic bag. Create design by squeezing contrasting icing onto cookies. Allow iced cookies to dry thoroughly before stacking.

Find this recipe and more holiday treats at mccormick.com