Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
3. Butter Mixture: In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined.
4. Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
5. Chill Dough: Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
6. Rolling Out: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thickness.
7. Cutting Shapes: Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes.
8. Baking: Place the cutouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are just beginning to brown.
9. Cooling: Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Decorating (Optional): Decorate the gingerbread with icing, candies, or other decorations as desired.