Gingerbread Cookies Forever (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

01 - 440g (3 1/2 cups) plain flour.
02 - 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda.
03 - 1/2 tsp of table salt.
04 - 1 Tbsp of powdered ginger.
05 - 1 Tbsp of ground cinnamon.
06 - 1/2 tsp of allspice powder.
07 - 1/2 tsp of ground clove spice.
08 - 142g (10 Tbsp) butter, unsalted, soft.
09 - 150g (3/4 cup) tightly packed brown sugar.
10 - 160ml (200g or 2/3 cup) of unsulphured molasses.
11 - 1 large room-temperature egg.
12 - 1 tsp of pure vanilla.
13 - Optional: royal icing or regular cookie icing.

# Instructions:

01 - In a big bowl, stir together the flour, spices (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves), salt, and soda.
02 - Whip the butter for around a minute until it's smooth. Mix in molasses and brown sugar until everything merges on medium-high speed.
03 - Blend the vanilla and egg into the mix at the highest speed for a couple of minutes (it's fine if the butter splits a bit).
04 - With the mixer on low speed, combine the dry mixture into the wet mixture until you have a sticky, thick dough.
05 - Divide dough into 2 pieces, flatten each one into a disc shape, wrap ‘em up. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or all night long.
06 - Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line your baking pans with parchment paper.
07 - Roll a dough disc on a surface dusted with flour until it’s about 1/4 inch thick.
08 - Use cutters to create shapes. Arrange them an inch apart on your pans. Roll scraps again to cut more.
09 - Bake for 9-10 minutes and spin the pan once. Crisper cookies? Cook them a bit longer.
10 - Let cookies rest for 5 minutes on the pan. Move them to a rack to finish cooling before adding designs.

# Notes:

01 - Dough discs freeze well; let thaw in the fridge overnight. Cookies also keep frozen (decorated or plain) for 3 months.
02 - You’ll need things like a mixing bowl, whisk, stand mixer, parchment sheets, rolling pin, cookie cutters, and wire rack.
03 - Perfect for making pretty cookies with icing (regular or royal).
04 - Not stiff enough to use as house-building gingerbread.

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