Ginger Bread Cookies

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) light molasses
• 2 tsp (10 ml) ground ginger
• 2 tsp (10 ml) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground black pepper
• 2 tsp (10 ml) baking soda
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) margarine, cut up
• 1 jumbo egg, beaten
• 3-1/2 cups (825 ml) all-purpose flour

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat sugar molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper to boiling over medium heat, sirring occasionally.
2. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up in the pan).
3. Stir in margarine until melted.
4. With a folk, stir in the egg, then the flour.
5. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until thoroughly mixed.
6. Divide dough in half.
7. Wrap one half of dough with plastic wrap and set aside.
8. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (175 C.).
9. With floured rolling pin, roll remaining half dough slightly thinner than 1/4 inch.
10. With floured 3 to 4 inch assorted cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; reserve the trimmings.
11. Place cookies, 1/2 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.
12. Reroll trimmings and cut out more cookies.
13. Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until edges are beginning to brown.
14. Remove to wire rack to cool.
15. Repeat with remaining dough.
16. When cookies are cooled, you may decorate with icing if desired.
17. Store cookies in a tightly covered container for up to 2 weeks.

sugar, light molasses, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground black pepper, baking soda, margarine, jumbo egg, flour

Taken from online-cookbook.com/goto/cook/rpage/0010BC (may not work)