Ingredients
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1/2 cup regular molasses (not backstrap molasses)
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1/4 cup sugar
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5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
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1 tsp ground ginger
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1/4 tsp salt
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2 tsp baking soda
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1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
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1 large egg, beaten
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
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Decorating Icing
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Mini candy canes or peppermint balls
Steps
1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment. Crumple and shape foil into 1–1½-inch balls.
2
In a 4-qt saucepan, combine the molasses, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and salt. Heat to a boil on medium, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat. Stir in the baking soda, then the butter. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour until combined.
3
Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gently knead until smooth. Divide into 3 equal-sized pieces. Shape each into a flat disk and wrap 2 in plastic wrap.
4
Roll unwrapped piece of dough to ⅛-inch thickness. With gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on prepared pans, spacing 1 inch apart. Reroll scraps once and cut out additional cookies. Repeat rolling and cutting with remaining 2 pieces of dough.
5
Gently fold arms up of gingerbread men, placing a foil cylinder under each pair of arms to keep them in place while baking, pressing slightly, if necessary. Bake 10 min., until set and dry to touch. Remove from oven and carefully remove pieces of foil. Cool cookies completely on wire racks.
6
Decorate with icing. Let stand until icing sets. Slide candy canes or candies into arms. To store, keep between sheets of parchment paper in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Tips
You can use this dough with other cookie-cutter shapes like stars, trees, hearts, candy canes, or snowflakes.
