Gingerbread Men & Overzealous Volunteering

Happy holidays!

So I opened my big mouth twice and volunteered to bake over 50 cookies for Simon & Theodore's classes. What in the world was I thinking?  I took the term holiday spirit to the next level. lol

Did I also mention that everyone in my house kept eating them as I baked, so I made way more than 50? *sigh*  I may have to retire my cookie sheet for a while.

It took me several hours to finish but the end result was so worth it.  These cookies are crispy on the outside and soft in the inside.  You can make them thinner if you prefer a crisper texture.

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Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour 

½ tablespoon cinnamon

½ tablespoon ginger

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

½ cup vegan brown sugar

2 tablespoon almond milk

¼ cup agave nectar (or natural maple syrup)

I also sprinkled in cloves with the dry ingredients.

Directions:

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Sift together the all purpose flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.

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In a separate mixing, use an electric mixer to cream together the vegan butter and brown sugar. Slowly beat in the almond milk and agave nectar.

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On a low speed, slowly beat in the dry mixture until combined. Gather the dough, and place between two sheets of parchment paper.

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Roll the dough ¼ inch thick and freeze for about 20 minutes until firm.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

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Remove the cookie dough from the freezer and use a floured cookie cutter to cut the dough into gingerbread shapes of your choice.

Transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes for thick cookies and about 11 minutes for thinner ones

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Allow to cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

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I decided not to decorate them because I was pretty tired and they're sweet enough on their own. 

These cookies make perfect Christmas gifts. Enjoy!  I know Simon & Theo's classes did. :-)

Recipe adapted from The Sweetest Vegan, Martha Stewart & Bobby Flay

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