Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup molasses
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Royal Icing
• White sparkling sugar (optional)

Preparation

1. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy.
2. Stir together 1/4 cup water and soda until dissolved; stir in molasses.
3. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients. Add to butter mixture alternately with molasses mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Shape mixture into a ball; cover and chill 1 hour.
4. Roll to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 7 1/2-inch snowflake cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Cut out designs in snowflakes using 1/4- to 1/2-inch cutters, and remove.
5. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
6. Spoon icing into a small heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag; pipe around edges of cookies. Sprinkle icing with sugar, if desired.
7. Note: Sparkling sugar can be found at cake decorating and kitchen shops.