DECORATED GINGERBREAD COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill until firm, 1 hour. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in thickness. Cut out with Christmas cookie cutters of your choice. Using a floured spatula, transfer cookies to greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks., Decorate cookies with frosting and colored sugars.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, allspice, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a mixer, beat the margarine (or butter) and brown sugar until fluffy. Drizzle in the molasses, mixing well and scraping the sides of the bowl a couple of times to make sure it's evenly combined. Add the eggs and maple extract and mix. Add the flour mixture in three batches, beating until just combined after each addition.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or more if you have time! When you're ready to bake the cookies, remove the dough from the fridge and preheat the oven to 350 F. When the dough is soft enough to roll but still firm, divide it in half and roll out each half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (dividing it in half just makes it more manageable.) Cut out shapes of your choosing and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a baking mat. Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of cutters used, until the cookies are baked through but still soft. Remove with a spatula and allow to cool completely. ***IMPORTANT NOTE: Bake for less time if you desire a softer cookie and if cookies are small. Keep an eye on them and don't let them get too crisp. To make the royal icing, beat the powdered sugar, milk, and egg whites until thick but still able to be piped. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a fine tip (or a squirt bottle.)  Decorate the cookies however you'd like, using icing as an accent and as glue to hold on the candies. Allow icing to set before transporting or serving.