Gingerbread Cookies

Mr A has a gingerbread app where you make dough, roll it, bake it, and then decorate a gingerbread cookie. It was just a matter of time before he wanted to make the real thing. He actually directed me to get his game to look for the ingredients.

I came across this recipe at Food.com. I would have used the 1 egg in the recipe, but we didn't have any egg in the fridge. So I used Art of Dessert's substitution of 8 oz cream cheese for 2 eggs.

Turns out, Mr A liked his Grammy's cookie cutters that had handles on them, so we made bunnies, circles, gingerbread men, hearts, and bats.

  Egg-free Gingerbread Cookies

(adapted from Food.com)
Ingredients:
3 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 T ground ginger
1 1/2 t pumpkin spice
6 T unsalted butter
3/4 c dark brown sugar
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and pumpkin spice until well blended.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and cream cheese on medium speed until well blended.
3. Add molasses and vanilla. Mix until well blended.
4. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.
5. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until hard.
6. Preheat oven to 375°.  Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
7. Place 1/4 of the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll dough to a 1/4-inch thick. (Thinner cookies will be crisper.)
8. Cut out cookies. Space cookies 1 1/2-inches apart on cookie sheet.
9. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (the lower time will give you softer cookies!).
10. Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack.
11. After cookies are cool you may decorate them any way you like..

Enjoy!