Best Winter Treat: Gingerbread Men

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour (plus extra for dusting) - دقيق أبيض
• 2 teaspoon ginger powder - بودرة جنزبيل
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda - بيكربونات الصودا
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder - قرفة
• 125 gram butter (at room temperature) - زبدة
• 1/2 cup sugar - سكر
• 2 medium egg yolks - صفار البيض
• 1/2 cup molasses - عسل أسود
• Icing:
• 1 cup icing sugar - سكر بودرة
• 2-3 tablespoon lemon juice (or water) - عصير ليمون
• 1 cup candies (like m&ms, sprinkles, or small chocoalte chips) - حلوى

Step by step

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line your baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, mix together 2 cups of flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, and cinnamon. Add the butter and mix until the dough reaches the texture of breadcrumbs.
3. Add the sugar and mix, followed by the egg yolks and the molasses. Mix until the dough comes together. Add the remaining flour gradually if needed.
4. Remove it from the food processor and use your hands to work the dough into a ball. (If you have the time, wrap the dough in a clean plastic bag, and allow it to rest for 15 minutes in the fridge.)
5. Dust a clean working surface with a little flour. Using a flour-dusted rolling pin, roll out the dough until it's about 4 mm thick. Dip the cookie cutters in a little flour then cut out the cookie shapes and arrange them on the baking tray (about 3 cm apart).
6. Use your hands to work the remaining dough into another ball and repeat the process.
7. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool and harden on the tray for 10 minutes before you can transfer them to a cooling rack.
8. For the icing, mix the icing sugar with freshly squeezed lemon juice or water (one tablespoon at a time). Mix patiently after every tablespoon of liquid until a smooth but relatively thick icing is formed. Transfer the icing into a plastic bag. Using scissors, make a small cut in the corner of the bag and pipe little drops of icing to decorate the cookies. Also use it as glue to stick the candies. Allow the the icing a few minutes to dry before serving.