From Everyday Food Magazine, December 2007, makes 18 normal-sized gingerbread cookies, or 2-3 giant ones.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons ( 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup unsulfured molasses
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg and molasses. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; mix just until combined. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days, or freeze up to 3 months (thaw before baking).
Preheat oven to 350, with racks set in upper and lower thirds. Working with one disk at a time, place dough on lightly floured parchment paper, and roll out to 1/8-inch thick, dusting lightly with flour as needed. Using paper, lift dough onto two baking sheets; freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
Remove paper and dough from baking sheets. Using a long offset spatula, loosen dough from paper. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and brush off any excess flour. Transfer to baking sheets. (Gather scraps, briefly freeze, and re-roll.)
For softer cookies, bake 8-10 minutes; for crunchier cookies, bake 11 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Note from Tucker: To create giant gingerbread man, trace gingerbread image and enlarge to create pattern in desired size. Cut out pattern. Pin pattern to rolled-out gingerbread dough, and use sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut out gingerbread man. Use small cookie cutters to create holes. Allow giant cookie to cool completely on sheet pan before removing to serve, or cookie will break.
