Gingerbread Cookies

               Sift into a big bowl and mix the following ingredients:

  2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Beat together the following ingredients in another bowl:

1 egg

1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar

2/3 cup dark molasses

6 Tablespoons softened butter.

Add dry ingredients slowly to wet the mixture until well blended.  Cover and refrigerate for one hour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sift flour onto your board and your rolling pin as you work to keep the dough from sticking.  Roll out a portion of the dough 1/4 inch thick.  Cut out your gingerbread men with a two-inch floured cookie cutter.  Or, with floured hands, shape and hand press your own little gingerbread men.  One way to shape them is to make a little ball for the head, a larger ball for the body, and stick-shaped rolls for arms and legs.  Decorate with raisins.  Place 1 inch apart on a buttered cookie sheet.  Bake 8 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch.  Cool on wire rack.  This will make about 50 cookies.

This recipe is from the back of the book: