Each year for Ballet Spartanburg’s production of The Nutcracker, I bake 450 of these gingerbread cookies to be sold over the performance weekend. Rolling dough is like relaxation therapy to me.
I became involved with Ballet Spartanburg when my daughter Shelby took ballet classes for fifteen years. She went on to the University at St. andrews in Scotland. Fortunately, my family still has the privilege of being a small part of the ballet for this very special event.
Thank you, Trish Mccallister, for sharing your recipe.
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup light ordark brown sugar
1 1⁄2 cups molasses
2/3 cup ice water
In large bowl of an electric stand mixer, using the paddle, combine the first three ingredients. Add the ice water.
Sift together
7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix the flour mixture into the shortening and water mixture.
Roll the dough to 3/8-inch thickness and cut.
For the cookies
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
For the ornaments
Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Before baking, use a regular drinking straw to make a hole in the top of the cookie to put your ribbon through.
If the amount of this recipe is too much for your mixer to hold, cut it in half.
Makes forty 3-inch cookies or ornaments.