Ingredients

• 3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 c packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 c unsulfured molasses
• 3 1/4 c (13 oz) Better Batter All-Purpose Flour, plus extra for dusting the work surface and rolling pin
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbl ground ginger
• 1 Tbl ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• optional decorations: Royal Icing, cinnamon red hots, sprinkles

Instructions

Prepare the cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs and molasses; beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, and salt mixture on low speed, and mix until combined. Transfer to an air-tight container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight. Preheat and prepare the pan. When you're ready to bake the cookies, heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Set up your workspace. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit out at room temperature for 5 minutes. Lightly flour your counter or bench with additional flour. Scoop out a portion of the chilled dough and place it on the floured surface. Roll. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough evenly until it is just about 1/4-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into your desired shapes. Transfer to parchment-covered baking sheets and space at least 2 inches apart. It is my preference to chill the cut outs before baking to minimize spreading. Chill 10-15 minutes before transferring to the oven. Carefully re-roll scraps. Bake. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cookies will be set but still very soft. Remove from oven. Let sit at least 15 minutes on the hot baking sheet before using a spatula to carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Cookies will continue to harden while cooling but will not become crisp. If you'd like a crispier cookie, consider rolling them to 1/8-inch thick or bake them a few additional minutes until slightly golden around the edges. Decorate as desired after the cookies have cooled completely. The soft Royal Icing recipe above works well for decorating these gingerbread cookies. Cookie recipe makes approximately 3-4 dozen cookies, depending on size. Adapted from The Kitchn