Gingerbread Men and Ladies

I was searching the around for a really wonderful Gingerbread recipe and I decided to try Bakerella's recipe. She is always spot on with her recipes (add I adore her)! She used this recipe to make Gingerbread and Snowman faces only. But I really wanted to make Gingerbread Men - her recipe worked perfectly and made the whole house smell like Christmas.

Gingerbread Recipe (from Bakerella)

5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 cup butter, slightly soft
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup molasses

In a medium bowl stir flour, baking soda, salt and spices - set aside.

Using a mixer combine sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix until well combined.

Add molasses and mix again until combined. Gradually add in flour mixture and mix until combined and a dough forms.

Divide dough into four sections and shape each into a flattened disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

When ready to bake preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out each disc between two sheets of parchment paper using a rolling pin.

Flour the sides of the paper that will touch the dough to make it a little easier to release.

Cut out shapes and remove the excess dough to re-roll and reuse.

Bake for 7 - 9 minutes.

Note I used two discs and made over 40 medium sized Gingerbread Men! I still have two discs to make tonight - I am thinking maybe Gingerbread Snowflakes - or Stars. You will just have to wait and see!

Noelle's Audrey Hepburn Gingerbread Ladies scream - "Breakfast at Tiffany."

My very basic Gingerbread Men with red hot buttons.

Noelle's pink Gingerbread Ladies are so very ladylike.

My Gingerbread Men with snowflake buttons.

Noelle and I decorated a ton of Gingerbread Men and Ladies - we set them out on parchment paper to dry overnight.

Before we started decorating the Gingerbread Men and Ladies - I pulled out all of my colored icings and larger sprinkles and of course the red hots. So we just started to create!