Ingredients:
5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups unsulphured molasses*
2 eggs, beaten
Preheat oven 375°F. Thoroughly mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Melt shortening in large saucepan. Cool slightly. Add sugar, molasses and eggs; mix well. Add four cups of the dry ingredients and mix again.
Turn mixture onto lightly floured surface. Knead in remaining dry ingredients by hand. Add a little more flour, if necessary, to make the dough firm. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut out cookies with Gingerbread Boy and Girl Cookie Cutters. Bake 6-10 minutes for small to medium size cookies and 10-15 minutes for large cookies.
If you're not going to use your gingerbread right away, wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate. Refrigerated dough will keep for a week, but be sure to remove it 3 hours prior to rolling so it softens and is workable.
*Substitute 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup for molasses to make Blonde Gingerbread.
Makes 40 medium-sized cookies.
Royal Icing to Decorate your Gingerbread Creations by Wilton Ingredients: Yields 3 cups of icing.
3 level tablespoons Meringue Powder
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 1 lb.)
6 tablespoons water
Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7-10 minutes (10-12 minutes at high speed for portable mixer) until icing forms peaks.
Ornaments
With royal icing, pipe outlines and facial features using Tip 3 and Disposable Decorating Bags. Use Icing Colors to create different looks. Attach candy canes with royal icing.