Intact Gingerbread Men are So Last Year . . .

Why make decapitated, amputated gingerbread men?  Because my mother-in-law gave me this set of cookie cutters last year . . .

 . . . and I was craving my favorite gingerbread recipe . . .

Gingerbread People

 (originally from  Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair)

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened (we use coconut oil)

¼ cup unrefined cane sugar or brown sugar

¼ cup honey (or brown rice syrup)

¼ cup blackstrap molasses

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼-½  cup orange juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Cream together butter and sugar; add honey, molasses and ginger, mixing well.

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add to wet ingredients a bit at a time, alternating with orange juice as needed to make a dough that will roll out.  You’ll need to work in the end of the flour mix using your hands.

Roll out on a parchment paper and cut shapes with cookie cutters.  Move parchment paper to cookie sheet.  Add decorations before baking.  Bake 8-9 minutes.

 . . . so it just seemed like the thing to do.  

No spiritual application . . . just silliness. :)