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1
Whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
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2
Beat the butter, molasses and superfine sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
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3
Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 batches and beat until just incorporated.
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4
Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes or overnight.
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5
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick.
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6
Cut out shapes using 3-inch cookie cutters and arrange on 2 ungreased baking sheets.
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7
Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more cookies.
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8
Refrigerate the cutouts until firm, about 10 minutes.
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9
Bake the cookies, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until the edges are just browned and set, 12 to 15 minutes.
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10
Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
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11
Meanwhile, make the icing: Whisk the confectioners' sugar with 1 tablespoon boiling water in a small bowl; add 1 teaspoon water if the icing is too thick.
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12
Transfer to a resealable plastic bag; snip off a small corner and pipe the icing onto the cookies.
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13
Let set, about 30 minutes.
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14
Photograph by Johnny Miller
