Gingerbread People

By Rachel Paxton

Gingerbread cookies are a fun family activity during the holiday season. All you need to get started are some gingerbread people cookie cutters and your imagination.

You can make your own frosting. I like to buy different colored frosting in tubes that come with the different tips ready to attach and frost. It's a lot less work and mess, and you can use them over and over again.

Use a variety of candies to decorate, like raisins, red hots, gum drops, etc. Mine are nothing fancy, but still cute and fun to make.

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe:

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. shortening

1 egg

1/2 c. light molasses

2 1/4 c. flour

4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. all spice

Cream sugar and shortening. Add egg and molasses; blend. Mix in dry ingredients. Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll out dough to 1/8 in. thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes.

Copyright 2002.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner? an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, and frugal family fun, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.