Gingerbread Men

A recipe contribution from Rent-A-Chef. Check out Rent-A-Chef's profiles on our "Chefs on the 'Net" Page.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1-1/3 cups light or dark molasses
• 9 cups all-purpose flour
• Icing cement (recipe below)
  

Method

1. Whip cream and vanilla until cream holds soft peaks. 
2. In a large bowl, mix sugar, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon. 
3. Stir in molasses and cream. 
4. Gradually add flour, mixing well. 
5. On a lightly floured board, roll out a portion of dough until it's flat but still thick enough to pick up easily without tearing. Place it on a greased and floured 12 by 15-inch rimless baking sheet.
6. Finish rolling dough on pan, supporting the rolling pin on equally thick wooden strips placed along opposite edges of pan. Use about 2 cups dough for each 1/8-inch-thick slab, and about 6 cups for each 3/8-inch slab. If cookies are not evenly thick the thin areas bake darker in color and are more brittle.
7. You can bake up to 2 pans of dough at a time in 1 oven. Bake dough until fairly firm when pressed in center - in a 300 degree F. oven, allow about 1 hour for 1/8-inch-thick slabs; in a 275 degree F. oven, allow about 1-3/4 hours for 1/4-inch slabs and about 2-1/4 hours for 3/8-inch slabs.
8. After 30 minutes, remove pans from oven and place pattern pieces close together on the dough; with a sharp knife, cut around pattern edges; lift off pattern and scraps. (Later, bake the scraps to eat.) 
9. Return both pans to oven, switching their positions, and finish baking.
10. Meanwhile, roll out remaining dough to make cookies and other special features.
11. When done, carefully loosen cookies with a spatula; cool on pan until firm, about 5 minutes. 
12. Transfer to a rack to cool. 
13. Decorate and assemble structure with icing cement or wrap pieces airtight and store up to 1 month; cookies keep crisp longer, but do not taste as fresh. Makes about 9 cups dough, or 4-1/2 slabs 1/8 inch thick, 2-1/2 slabs 1/4 inch thick, or 1-1/2 slabs 3/8 inch thick. Each full slab is 10 by 15 inches.
    
    Icing Cement:
    
    With an electric mixer, beat 2 large egg whites, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 2 teaspoons water until frothy. Mix in 3 cups sifter powdered sugar; beat on high speed until icing is stiff, 5 to 10 minutes. Use, or cover up to 8 hours. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.
    

Recipe Notes

This dough can also be used to make gingerbread people and /or cookies.

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