rDadsLife!

Typically I focus on recipes which are quick, easy and can be done with very little attention because as a single father my time is spread as thin as my hair.  However, being that we are in the throws of the Christmas Season (yes, I said Christmas and not Holiday) I thought it would be fun to put up a recipe my boys and I actually love taking time with and making together.

What'cha need:

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Various decorating items (see note below)
  

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Cream together sugars, shortening, molasses, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Beat with a mixer until very smooth.
4. Add remaining dry ingredients (except decoration items), scraping the bowl as you go.
5. If you choose to make round drop cookies, use the batter as is and scoop out with a TBSP cookie scoop onto greased pan, about 2-3 inches apart.

** If you want to make cookie cutter shapes, add extra 1 cup of flour to the bowl 1/4 cup at a time until dough is stiff and clears the side of the bowl. Roll out on a heavily floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Roll out to approximately 1/4 inch thick & cut with the cutters. Then place onto greased cookie sheets.

** Bake for 15-18 minutes. (These bake best with only one or two sheets in at a time. If you are making a lot, use two "shifts" of two cookies sheets.).

Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. This will prevent the bottom of your cookies from sinking through the spaces in the rack.

***Decorate while slightly warm.

When it comes to decorating my boys are all over the map....this year is the year of the Simpsons.  We went through 5 tubes of yellow frosting, blue frosting (Homer's pants), green frosting, etc.  We also use red and green sugar crystals.  In past years we had Power Rangers, Camouflage Men, Sparky the Sun Devil, and we always have some New York Yankees in the mix.  So buy your frosting and crystals according to what your kids are into.

rDad's favorites:

Gingerbread Pam Anderson - a little top heavy and certainly not marriage material, but she is always up for a Holiday party and goes down easy with Jack Daniels.

Gingerbread Paris Hilton - super skinny and comes with an annoying dog, but super hot, very fashionable and great for late night, Holiday home videos and mimosas.

Gingerbread George Bush - he may try to send your other Gingerbread Men to war and mumble incoherently, but it is fun to dunk his head in coffee so you can see just how empty his head actually is.

Gingerbread Barry Bonds - I started eating this before I hit the gym and my workouts have been amazing plus I think my head has grown a few hat sizes.

Gingerbread Ex-Wife - no matter how much money or time you spend decorating this cookie or how much sugar you add, this cookie will always be bitter and full of resentment.

Good luck and good eating!!!

Merry Christmas!!  Happy Hanukkah!!  Happy Kwanzaa!!  Happy New Year!!!

rDad

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