Gingerbread Snowflakes

• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons 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
• Royal Icing (page 241)
• Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl.
2. Set aside.
3. Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
4. Mix on medium speed until fluffy.
5. Add eggs and molasses and mix until combined.
6. Add flour mixture; mix on low until combined.
7. Divide dough into thirds; wrap each in plastic.
8. Chill 1 hour.
9. Preheat oven to 350F.
10. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
11. On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough just under 1/4 inch thick.
12. Brush off excess flour and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
13. Cut dough into snowflake shapes with a 7-inch cookie cutter.
14. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, and freeze until firm, 15 minutes.
15. Bake cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until crisp but not darkened, rotating sheets halfway through once and firmly tapping down pan.
16. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
17. Place icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip (Ateco #7).
18. Pipe designs on snowflakes; immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar.
19. Tap off excess sugar and allow icing to set completely at room temperature, about 1 hour.
20. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
21. To create these lacy designs, fill a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip (Ateco #7) with Royal Icing.
22. Pipe a line along each axis, applying a little extra pressure to create a dot.
23. Pipe several dots around center axis.
24. While icing is wet, sprinkle it with fine sanding sugar.
25. Let stand 5 minutes; shake off excess.
26. To package cookies, dry for several hours; remove excess granules with a dry pastry brush.

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

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/gingerbread-snowflakes-389271 (may not work)