‘Tis the season to start enjoying some winter favorites! These gingerbread cookies are classic, fun, and the perfect way to start off the holiday season.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• gingerbread person cookie cutters (optional)
• Icing ingredients
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A few drops of lemon juice (optional, helps balance sweetness)

Instructions

1. Make the base mixture
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, stirring until the dough comes together. Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat and prep
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Create the cookies
Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, then cut out the gingerbread people shapes and transfer them to the sheets.

4. Bake
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how soft or crisp you prefer. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack.

5. Make the icing
Stir together the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Add more milk in tiny amounts until the icing reaches a smooth, pipe-able consistency. Then, put the icing into a plastic bag and cut off the corner when you’re ready to decorate.

6. Decorate your gingerbread
Now for the fun part! Let the gingerbread cool, then decorate them with the icing however you’d like.

7. Enjoy!
Let the icing set, then enjoy this tasty wintry treat.