Gingerbread Straws

Ingredients

• 3.75 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 0.75 teaspoons salt
• 0.75 teaspoons baking soda
• 0.75 cups molasses
• 0.25 cups water
• 12 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 cup light or dark brown sugar , firmly packed
• 0.25 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt and baking soda in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix molasses and water.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses mixture, then dry ingredients, to form stiff dough; if dough is sticky, add up to 1/4 cup more flour.

3. 3

   Quarter the dough, form each portion into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be refrigerated up to 1 week or frozen up to 1 month.)

4. 4

   Heat oven to 350 degrees.

5. 5

   On a heavily floured work surface, roll 1 portion of dough into a 9-by-7-inch rectangle. Sprinkle dough with 1 Tb. sugar; use rolling pin to press sugar into dough. Cut dough (preferably with a fluted-edge pastry cutter) into 9-by-1/2-inch sticks. Place sticks about 1/2-inch apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake on middle rack until done, 18 to 22 minutes; after 10 minutes, rotate sheet from back to front. Repeat with remaining dough in batches.