Gingerbread Skeletons

Total Time

Prep: 15 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch

Makes

about 2 dozen

Updated: Sep. 08, 2022
Any small gingerbread boy cookie cutter can take on new "life" with these classic cookies. Give him some cat friends, too. The more the merrier! —Dore' Merrick Grabski, Utica, New York
Gingerbread Skeletons Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Confectioners' sugar icing

Directions

  1. In a bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add molasses and egg; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough in half. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.
  3. Bake 9 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Decorate with icing to resemble bones of skeletons, mummy wrappings, or as desired.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 145 calories, 6g fat (1g saturated fat), 8mg cholesterol, 108mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.