Gingerbread Cookies Recipe plus Deorating Tips & Ideas Decorate your holiday-themed table with Judie Rothermel's, easy to make, table runner. Pattern available in the December 2004 issue of McCall's Quilting. 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. ground cloves 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup molasses 1 egg Sift first 7 ingredients into bowl and set aside. Combine shortening, sugar, and molasses in another bowl, beating at medium speed with an electric mixer. Add egg and beat well. Add dry ingredients gradually and blend well. Cover and chill for 1-1/2 hours. Rolled Gingerbread Men: Roll out 1/4” thick on floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 5-8 minutes. Quick Gingersnaps: Roll generous tablespoon of dough into pecan-size ball. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 10-14 minutes. Decorating Tips & Ideas Create quilt-themed gingerbread men using quick and easy pre-mixed decorating icing in squeeze tubes and accompanying screw-on tips. Purchase a tube each of white, red, and green icing (can be purchased at most grocery stores in cake baking section) plus a package of decorating tips. Use our "paper template diagrams" to decorate cookies as depicted above. Stitches around the edges can be created using a decorating "writing tip" and the vest patches can be created using a "petal tip". Embellishments are easy to add by using decorating sprinkles, candies, and/or colored sugars, also found in the cake baking section at most grocery stores.