Soft Gingerbread Stamped Cookies

Cookies:

• 3 3/4 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp cocoa
• 1 Tbsp ginger
• 2 tsp ground cloves
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• – sugar for rolling

Vanilla Glaze (optional):

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/8 tsp vanilla

Sift together flour, cocoa, spices and salt in medium mixing bowl and set aside. In mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and creamy. Scrape sides of mixer and add the egg. Mix thoroughly. Add molasses and blend. Scrape again and with mixer on low add flour mixture and blend thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but less than a day.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Roll dough into golf ball sized balls and then roll in sugar before placing on cookie sheet. Press with stamps until you begin to see dough coming out on edges. Bake for 10-14 minutes. Repeat until all dough is used and place baked cookies on a cooling rack over a sheet pan to cool. Makes about 1½ dozen cookies.

If a glaze is desired, prepare glaze while cookies are baking. Whisk together powdered sugar, water and vanilla until desired consistency is reached. While the cookies are still slightly warm, brush a light coat of glaze on the top of cookies, evenly covering the designs, as desired.