Gingerbread Men

These are great cookies, lower in fat and very economical to make. They are crispy and spicy, very much like the one you find in the store. Expect to become an expert at making these quickly, as they tend to disappear fast.First, be warned, this dough, even after the addition of the last of the flour, is extremely soft and sticky, nowhere near the tyipically consistency of gingerbread. You will need to chill the dough completely before attempting to roll it out and remember to generously flour both the pin and the dough to prevent sticking.It is critical to get these cookies loosened up immediately after removing from the oven, or they will become glued to the sheet. Loosen and then allow to rest for a couple of minutes, before removing entirely. If for some reason you are not able to remove them promptly, just put the sheet back in the oven for a minute or two until the cookies warm and soften a bit, allowing you to remove them without much resistance.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2. 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3. 1/2 cup shortening
4. 1/4 molasses
5. 2 eggs
6. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
7. 2 cups all-purpose flour
8. 1 teaspoon baking soda
9. 1 teaspoon baking powder
10. 1 teaspoon ground ginger
11. 1 teaspoon salt
12. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13. 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
14. red sugar crystals (for decorating) (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Cream together sugars, shortening, molasses, eggs and vanilla in large bowl; beat with electric mixer till smooth.
3. In another large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and cloves; add dry mixture to wet, stirring as you add.
4. Roll a portion of dough out on heavily-floured surface.
5. Roll to under 1/4-inch thick.
6. Cut cookies using a human-shaped cookie cutter or any other cookie cutter you want.
7. Place cookies on oiled cookie sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes.
8. Bake only one sheet of cookies at a time!

Notes