Gingerbread Dough

A little extra flour makes this dough sturdy enough to make gingerbread houses, but also works great for cookies. Plus, the smell of gingerbread baking is delightful.

Ingredients

3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp (7 mL) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger
½ tsp (2 mL) baking soda
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
¼ tsp (1 mL) ground cloves
½ cup (125 mL) vegetable shortening
½ cup (125 mL) sugar
½ cup (125 mL) molasses
1 egg

Directions

Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, and cloves together in a medium bowl.
Use a hand mixer to beat the shortening and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the molasses and egg and beat until smooth.
Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until fully combined.
Shape the dough into a ball and divide it into 2 portions. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it for 30 minutes. Use the dough to make cookies with the Rolling Cookie Cutter or Emoji Cookie Cutters.