Gingerbread Men Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup dark molasses
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 pinch cream of tartar
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
• food coloring Various, optional

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, molasses, and vinegar.
2. Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Stir into the creamed butter mixture slowly. Divide the dough into thirds or fourths, pat with flour and wrap each in waxed paper. Chill it for at least 3 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick on a floured surface and cut out cookies with a floured gingerbread man cutter.
4. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, and arrange cookies 2 inches apart, and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks. Re-roll dough scraps and continue cutting cookies until all dough is gone.
5. If decorating, pipe the icing* on the cookies using a pastry bag or plastic baggie with one tip cut off. Allow icing to cool completely.

butter, light brown sugar, egg, dark molasses, cider vinegar, flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves, salt, egg whites, cream of tartar, sugar, coloring various

Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/Gingerbread-Men-Cookies-1656473 (may not work)