Soft Gingerbread Cookies

1. 1

   In a medium size bowl, whip together the molasses, honey, butter, shortening, brown sugar and vanilla extract until fluffy and there are no visible large chunks for butter or shortening. Sift into this mixture the flour, followed by the remaining ingredients. Stir until combined.

2. 2

   The dough will be soft, like a very thick batter. Scoop it onto a sheet of waxed paper and roll into a short, wide log. Make sure all of the dough is covered, and refrigerate for a few hours (I prefer to let it chill overnight) to allow the flavours to fully develop. You can bake the dough before refrigerating, but the resulting cookie will not be as tasty.

3. 3

   Remove the dough from the refrigerator and pinch off about 2 tablespoons worth of the dough, roll it into a ball and place it on an ungrease cookie sheet. Place each cookie dough ball about 2 inches apart (on a standard half-sheet pan, you can fit 15 cookies) and tamp down the dough balls with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a drinking glass. The cookies will spread out and become thinner, but if you do not flatten the cookie balls a bit, the centers will not cook all the way through.

4. 4

   Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, but watch the cookies carefully, as the bottoms tend to burn quickly. You'll know the cookies are done when the tops change from a darker brown to a more opaque, lighter brown colour.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.

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