Gingerbread men. Simply put, these jolly little cookie creations are classic Christmastime. Its just not right without 
them. Gingerbread is so classic, Starbucks made a drink for it. And lets face it, gingerbread men are so classic for a reason, not only are they delicious, a great accompaniment for a hot cup of cocoa after wintery outdoor activities, but they are so fun to make and decorate, especially with little ones helping!
It might have been just of me to forewarn you, but as you will come to notice, the bulk of my Christmas recipes do in fact come from my grandmother. My recipe 
for gingerbread, in fact, comes from her cookbook, Prairie Cooking Past and Present, which also contains the recipe for one of last Christmas’s blog posts, her shortbread (this is my all time favourite, the best shortbread that exists, I swear by it). The recipe claims to yield a whopping eight dozen, but I’d say I got somewhere more in between two or three dozen. Still, that’s a great amount to share with friends and family, especially with all the other Christmas baking I’ll be doing (stay tuned for more recipes to come!).
But now, on to the recipe.
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. molasses (I used 3/4 cups black strap instead, since black strap is stronger)
2 tbsp. vinegar
5 c. whole wheat or all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
Cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg, molasses and vinegar. Note: if you’re substituting black strap
molasses add about 3/4 cup, and 1/4 cup oil, to keep the cookies moist while avoiding an overpowering molasses flavour. Sift together the dry ingredients, then stir them into the molasses mixture. Chill for about ten minutes (this will make the cookies easier to work with when cutting them out). Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board.
Instead of cutting out the cookies one by one, arrange all the cookie cutters onto the dough, while not pressing down, like so:
Once you’re happy with how they fit, press them all down and pull the remaining dough out from between the
shapes. Now is the time to add any sprinkles or decor like smarties or m&m’s that you want to stick into the cookie.
Place the cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake them for six to ten minutes on 375 degrees F, checking them periodically to ensure they do not burn. Cool on wire racks, then if desired, ice the cookies using a piping bag with a fine tip.
And then enjoy! These crunchy, spicy cookies are a great way to add some holiday cheer to an afternoon snack or as a gift to friends and family. Or, include your friends in the festivities and decorate cookies as a group, its a fun way to include everyone in the season’s festivities!
