| 1 | Preparation time: 25 minutes chilling time: 8 hours or overnight baking time: 7 to 10 minutes |
| 2 | Beat margarine, sugar and molasses in a large mixing bowl. |
| 3 | Add egg and mix well. |
| 4 | Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. |
| 5 | Add to butter mixture; mix well. |
| 6 | Divide dough into 4 equal portions on a large piece of plastic wrap. |
| 7 | Wrap and shape into a flat disk about 1 inch thick. |
| 8 | Refrigerate until firm, about 8 hours, or freeze for 2 hours. |
| 9 | (dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days). |
| 10 | Heat oven to 350 degrees. |
| 11 | Working with 1 disk of the dough at a time, roll out on a well-floured board, dusting the rolling pin as you work. |
| 12 | Dough will be very soft and can be difficult to work with so work quickly and use plenty of flour. |
| 13 | Using cookie cutters dipped in flour, cut into desired shapes. |
| 14 | Put cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. |
| 15 | Use currants or candy for eyes or buttons, if desired. |
| 16 | Bake until lightly puffed, 7 to 10 minutes. |
| 17 | First batch may be puffier because they will have less flour rolled in them. |
| 18 | While still warm, paint with egg yolk wash if desired. |
| 19 | Cool on wire racks. |
| 20 | Cool completely, then decorate as desired with icing. |
| 21 | Icing: mix confectioners" sugar with a small amount of water until thick and spreading consistency. |
| 22 | Add food coloring if desired and put in a small plastic bag. |
| 23 | Cut a small hole in one corner and drizzle icing out onto the cooled cookies. |
| 24 | Note: a 4-inch gingerbread cookie cutter was used in testing. |
| 25 | Oak brook"s gloria heeter is a newcomer to the chicago area and brings her favorite gingerbread cookie with her from kansas city, kan. |
| 26 | "about nine years ago, my neighbor, diane collins, brought them over for halloween in halloween shapes," she says. |
| 27 | "i took out some of the egg yolks and substituted corn oil margarine rather than shortening, which sometimes can have palm oil in it." calling them "truly a cookie for all seasons," heeter once even made them for her golden retriever"s first birthday party. |
| 28 | "we invited the neighborhood kids in for punch and cookies-cookies shaped like dogbones." at christmas, though, "i typically print the names of each person on the cookies, place them in a plastic bag and decorate them with a red and green ribbon," writes heeter of her personalized gingerbread people. |
| 29 | "a handmade gift is always filled with love." from the chicago tribune annual food guide holiday cookie contest december 8, 1988 |
