Total Calories: 3,597
* 1. To prepare dough, stir together flour, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Beat molasses, brown sugar, butter, and eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. At low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture until blended, scraping bowl frequently. Divide dough into two equal portions. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight (or place in freezer for about 1 hour). 2. Trace sleigh patterns onto plain paper cut out.
3. Heat oven to 325°. Moisten top of a baking sheet and line with aluminum foil. Spray foil with non-stick coating or brush lightly with vegetable oil.
4. To cut and bake gingerbread shapes, knead one portion of the chilled dough until smooth. (Keep remaining dough in refrigerator until ready to use.) Place dough in center of foil-lined baking sheet. Roll into a 10 x 12 x 1/4 -inch rectangle with a lightly floured rolling pin. Place paper patterns for one sleigh side and sleigh bottom at least 1 inch apart on rolled dough. Dip point of a small knife with a sharp point into flour to prevent sticking and cut out pieces. Remove trimmings and roll into a ball cover and refrigerate. Bake 18 to 22 minutes until edges are lightly browned and center is firm. Let stand on baking sheet to cool or gently remove cookie with foil onto a flat surface. When cool, remove foil. Air dry on a wire rack.
5. Repeat with second portion of dough and foil-lined baking sheet, cutting one sleigh back, one sleigh front, and second sleigh side (flip sleigh pattern over). Bake and cool as directed.
6. Knead trimmings until smooth and roll 1/4 inch thick. Cut reindeer with cookie cutter, dipping cutter into flour to prevent sticking. Place about 1 inch apart on baking sheet. When the reindeer are decorated, you will assemble them as pairs. Therefore, if you are using the decoration on a fireplace mantel, you should bake all the reindeer going in the same direction. If using as a table decoration, you will need to turn over 4 or 5 reindeer so they are going the opposite direction and will have a smooth "outer finish" when assembled as pairs. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Remove all foil.
Note: For softer cookies for eating, bake only 14 to 16 minutes. For sweeter cookies, sprinkle with sugar before baking.
This Making Gingerbread Shapes recipe is from the Holiday Cookbook Cookbook. Download this Cookbook today.
