Recipe: Gingerbread Men (soft) with Royal Icing

Gingerbread Men (soft) with Royal Icing
rec.food.cooking/Nancy Dooley

A good, soft gingerbread men cookie recipe.
Makes about 1 1/2 - 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add molasses and egg. Beat until smooth. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add to creamed mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Use a floured cookie cutter to cut out the men. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer to a wire rack with waxed paper underneath to cool completely.

Ice with royal icing, or decorate before baking with cinnamon candies, nonpareils, etc., or after baking with decorating icing.

Royal Icing

2 2/3 cups sifted powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. warm water
2 Tbsp. meringue powder
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Beat sugar, water, powder and lemon extract in a medium bowl with electric mixer 7 to 10 minutes or until stiff. Spoon icing into a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe icing on cookies, outlining features of gingerbread men and decorating tops. Allow icing to harden. Store in airtight container.