Ingredients:
Dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
½ cup molasses
Vanilla Glaze:
3 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons warm milk (preferably whole milk)
Decoration:
Jelly Belly candies for the eyes (or use any candy such as Red Hots)
Black Decorating Gel
Directions:
Dough:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; whisk together to mix. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and brown sugar; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add egg and molasses; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour mixture, stir until well mixed. The dough will be soft.
- Divide dough in half; place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Form dough into two 6 inch flattened disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.
Tip: The dough may be refrigerated at this point for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
- On a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut dough using a gingerbread people cookie cutter that has been dipped in flour (to help prevent dough from sticking to the cutter.)
Bake:
- Place cutout dough 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Move the arms, legs, and head a little to give them a little personality and “attitude.” Bake 11 minutes or until cookies are set. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets 2 to 3 minutes. When they seem firm enough, remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.
Vanilla Glaze:
- In a medium bowl, and using an electric mixer or hand mixer, combine powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla. Add warm milk in small quantities, start with 2 tablespoons of milk, then when it’s getting close to the right consistency add milk in teaspoonfuls or just drops of milk at a time, until it is the desired consistency; for piping, the icing should be like a thick sour cream.
- When the glaze is the right consistency, spoon into a small plastic freezer bag. Put a little piece of tape on corner to reinforce the tip, and then roll over top of bag to keep neater. (You could also use a plastic squeeze bottle with a tip available in decorating stores), Twist the top of the bag to create some pressure to make easier to squeeze out. Cut a tiny corner off the tip of the bag.
Decorating:
- Start at the feet and pipe the glaze onto the cookies, going back in forth with a zigzag pattern. Pipe zigzags in an opposite direction for arms, then fill in body and head. You can go back and fill in areas if necessary.
- Use one Jelly Belly for each mummy to make the eyes. Cut each Jelly Belly in half with a small knife and press onto the glaze.
- Squeeze a drop of black decorating gel on each eye to make the eyes “googley.”
Tip: in place of decorating gel you can also melt a small amount of chocolate and dab on top of the Jelly Belly with a toothpick.
- Place unused icing in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag and store in the refrigerator.
Tip: Use leftover glaze to make delicious little graham cracker sandwich treats. Break a graham cracker into 2 pieces, cover 1 piece with a little of the glaze and then place the 2nd piece on top to make a cookie sandwich.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cookie cutter.
TheBakingPan.com
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