Gingerbread Cookie Cutouts

• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unsulfured molasses

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and molasses, and beat to combine.
4. Reduce speed to low.
5. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined.
6. Divide dough into thirds; flatten each piece into a disk, and wrap in plastic.
7. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or overnight).
8. Dough can be frozen, wrapped tightly in plastic and placed in a resealable plastic bag, up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
9. On a generously floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one disk of dough to just under 1/4 inch thick.
10. Brush off excess flour and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 350F, with racks in upper and lower thirds.
12. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, quickly cut out shapes from dough and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart, as you work.
13. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
14. Repeat with remaining disks of dough.
15. Bake cookies until crisp but not darkened, 8 to 10 minutes, firmly tapping down sheets once and rotating them halfway through.
16. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely before decorating as desired.
17. Cookies can be stored up to 1 week at room temperature in airtight containers.

flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, unsulfured molasses

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/gingerbread-cookie-cutouts-389844 (may not work)