Gingerbread House Cookies Recipe

Gingerbread House Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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"This is my favorite molasses cookie," writes Karen Haen of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. "I use the recipe at Christmas, Easter and Fourth of July, cutting shapes like houses, bunnies and stars."

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Gingerbread House Cookies Recipe

Prep: 40 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min. + cooling

Yield: 48 Servings

40 10 50

Ingredients

1 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup water
Frosting and food coloring of your choice

Directions

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluff. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses and orange peel. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices; add to creamed mixture alternately with water, mixing well after each addition. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until easy to handle.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a 3-1/2-in. gingerbread house cookie cutter dipped in flour.
Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks. Decorate cooled cookies as desired with tinted frosting. Yield: 4 dozen.

Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 each) equals 127 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 9 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.

Originally published as Gingerbread House Cookies in Taste of Home December/January 2005, p6