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Gingerbread cookies and children go hand in hand. Everyone will love this fun Christmas recipe for kids ! Take a break from the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas, to sit down with your kids and create some wonderful memories of decorating cookies. You can even lick the icing off of your fingers. No one will tell on you!

What You Need

Gingerbread Cookie Dough** Baking Pans Cooling Racks Gingerbread Cookie Icing** Liquid or Paste Food Coloring Candy Decorations Elastic Cording or Yarn Plastic Straw ** Recipes for Gingerbread Cookie Dough and Royal Icing are provided below.

What You Do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide the cookie dough into 4 pieces. You will be working with one piece at a time so make sure to keep the other pieces wrapped in plastic wrap. Roll dough out on a floured table to 1/4-3/8 thick. Cut with gingerbread man cookie cutter or any other shape of your choice. NOTE: Use a straw to poke holes in the cookies for hanging, if you are planning on stringing as garland. Bake on greased cookie sheets. For thin and crispy gingerbread, roll dough out to 1/4 in., and then bake for 7-8 minutes until brown around edges. For slightly thicker and chewier cookies, roll dough out to 3/8 in., and bake for only 6 minutes or just until bottoms are lightly brown. Cool cookies for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to cooling rack for several minutes. Allow cookies cool completely before decorating. Gather the kids around and have fun decorating your cookies! To string together for a garland: Simply cut a piece of elastic thread or a piece of yarn through the right hand of a gingerbread girl, then tie a knot on the back to secure. Fill the string with candy or colored cereal rounds that have a hole in the middle them. (Life Savers, Fruit Loops, etc). Next tie the other end of the string to the left hand of a gingerbread boy.

Gingerbread Cookies

3 C flour, sifted 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 egg 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 C brown sugar 2/3 C shortening 2 tsp ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cloves or allspice 3/4 C molasses Cream together shortening, brown sugar, spices and salt; add the egg andmix thoroughly. Add molasses and blend. Sift together the flour, soda, baking powder and add the molasses mixture. Stir well until dough is completely mixed together. You might want to finish the mixing with your hands to ensure that all of the ingredients are blended together. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

Gingerbread Cookie Icing

4 C. Confectioners Sugar 4 T. Water Stir water into the sugar, one tablespoon at a time until you have a creamy-textured icing. Color with liquid or paste food coloring, if desired.

Tami Rose (99 Posts)

Tami Rose lives in North Carolina with her husband and 2 children. She is always on the lookout for fun, easy crafts that any age group can make. She is the Assistant Administrator on the FamilyCorner.com forums. You can find her there under the username of "ajrsmom". She is also the Assistant Editor for FamilyCorner.com and provides valuable support for the website.