Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing

Gingerbread Cookies

The dough must be chilled for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days unless you are making one big cookie. The cookies can be prepared up to 1 week ahead, stored in an airtight container at room temperature (If they last that long). When the dough is rolled thin and placed on the lower oven rack, it will bake crisp and almost crackerlike. Yet, when rolled thick and placed on the top oven rack (we like thick best), the cookies turn out plump and moist. In either case, the cookies are not too sweet and not too spicy.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper (opt.)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup unsulfured molasses (can use some Blackstrap)

1 large egg

Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper through a wire sieve into a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer at high speed, beat the butter and vegetable shortening until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses and egg. Using a wooden spoon, gradually mix in the flour mixture to make a stiff dough. Divide the dough into two thick disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. (The dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.)
To roll out the cookies, work with 1/2 a disk at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature until just warm enough to roll out without cracking, about 5 minutes. (If the dough has been chilled for longer than 3 hours, it may need a few more minutes.) Place the dough on a work surface dusted in powder sugar and sprinkle the top of the dough with powder sugar. Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick, being sure that the dough isn't sticking to the work surface (run a long spatula or knife under the dough occasionally just to be sure, and dust the surface with more flour, if needed). For softer cookies, roll out slightly thicker. Using cookie cutters, cut out the cookies and transfer to cookie sheets, placing the cookies at least 1 inch apart. Gently knead the scraps together and form into another disk. Wrap and chill for 5 minutes before rolling out again to cut out more cookies.
Bake, at 325F for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire cake racks to cool completely. Decorate with Royal Icing. (The cookies can be prepared up to 1 week ahead, stored in airtight containers at room temperature.)

Royal Icing

1 pound (4 1/2 cups) confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons dried egg-white powder

6 tablespoons water

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer at low speed, beat the confectioners' sugar, egg-white powder and water until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, until very stiff, shiny and thick enough to pipe; 3 to 5 minutes. (The icing can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, stored in an airtight container with a moist paper towel pressed directly on the icing surface, and refrigerated.)