Many a favorite family tradition come the holiday season starts in the kitchen. Come the holidays, people tend to gain a pound or two because of the abundance of good food this time of year. It's no coincidence that come New Year's Day, the most common resolution is to shed a few pounds.
While New Year's Day might be for resolutions, the holidays are all about enjoying good times with friends and family and enjoying the good food that typically comes with those times. Among the more popular and traditional choices is Gingerbread Men. Those hosting a party this season can use the following recipe for "Gingerbread Men" courtesy of Sara Perry's "Holiday Baking" (Chronicle Books).
Gingerbread Men
Makes About 2 Dozen
51/2-inch Cookies
21/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup firmly packed light or
dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup light or dark molasses
1. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, then lightly whisk and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer set on medium speed, beat the shortening until creamy, about 30 seconds. On medium speed, beat in the brown sugar until light and lump free. Beat in the egg until well blended, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the molasses until blended. Turn off the mixer, add half the flour mixture, and beat on low speed until blended. Add the remaining flour and beat until blended.
3. Using lightly floured hands, gather the sticky dough into a ball. Divide the ball in half and flatten each portion into a 6- to 8-inch disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or until firm.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it lightly and set aside.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, if needed, soften slightly for easier handling. Roll it out 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured board, between 2 sheets of parchment paper or heavy-duty plastic wrap, or on a pastry cloth with a cloth-covered rolling pin.
6. Lightly dip a 51/2-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter into flour, then firmly press it straight down into the dough. Repeat, cutting the cookies close together to avoid rerolling. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to the baking sheet. If a cookie is to be used as an ornament, press a hole through the top with a drinking straw or a large skewer.
7. Bake until the cookies are lightly browned, 9 to 11 minutes. Let the cookies firm and cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely. If desired, decorate the cookies with icing and decorative candles.