Gingerbread Cookies

The other night i finished Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks.. if you havent read it.. you need to.. PRONTO!
I loved it soo much! and the ending was sooooo good! =) he always finds a way to put in a twist you never saw coming!! =) love it!
i've always said True Believer and At First Sight were my favorites, but this one may have stolen the title!
Yesterday I went to lunch with Leslie and we had so much fun catching up on crazy stuff! I love coming home and seeing friends I haven't seen in a while!
My bestie is in Mississippi visiting her boyfriend and my boyfriend was busy with friends SO today i decided I wanted to try to make some gingerbread cookies! Theyre soo yummy but they were kind of an all-afternoon task! But definitely worth it! heres some pics and the recipe!





1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup mild molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt






Combine butter, sugar, and molasses together in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in increments, and continue to beat until thoroughly mixed together.

Pour the dough out onto the countertop and divide into 4 pieces. Press each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 1 to 2 hours, or up to 3 days.

Adjust the racks to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper.

Spread 2 large pieces of parchment paper out and very lightly flour them. Place a disk of dough between the parchment sheets and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with the remaining disks of dough. Rework all scraps into balls and re-chill before reusing. Repeat with all the dough.

Cut out cookies and place on the parchment-lined sheet trays with an offset spatula, leaving 1-inch between each cookie. Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes. Cool on the sheet tray for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to continue cooling to room temperature before decorating the cookies with Royal Icing.








* 2 egg whites
* 3 cups confectioners' sugar, whisked to remove lumps
* 1/2 lemon, juiced
Add ingredients to a large bowl. Beat, using a hand mixer, until glossy and stiff, about 5 to 6 minutes.
***I substituted ground ginger for the lemon juice. I just put a couple of shakes into the icing, maybe 1/4 teaspoon. It also made a lot more icing than i needed so you could probably half the recipe. =))