Ok, you know I am always up for a cooking adventure. But today my good karma must have been hiding in a closet, or my stars were not in alignment, or I simply drew the short straw. Whatever!! Because in trying my hand at decorating the delicious gingerbread men and women I made with this recipe, I not only made a ginormous mess, my decorated gingerbread “people” came out looking demented. I’m not kidding. (The picture below will attest to the fact. And these were the best of the lot!) But then, I was trying out a new icing recipe.

The frosting recipe I use for decorating cookies like “Pink Cookies” (delicious BTW), has cream cheese in it. I just didn’t know how that frosting would hold up being stuffed into a container and mailed across the states. So, I wanted an icing that would set up really well. Well, it set alright. So much so, that I could barely entice it out of the brand new, super duper, guaranteed to make decorating easy enough for any normal 6 year-old, squeeze bottle. Now granted, my hand strength isn’t what it used to be. But I’m not a weakling either. And apparently, from the looks on the faces of the cookies I did manage to “decorate”, they were as glad I was finished massacring them as I was! Not a good working relationship when the cookies themselves are begging for mercy!

So, before I could totally mess up the entire population of perfectly wonderful gingerbread men and women I created, I threw the whole mess of icing down the drain. And even that wasn’t easy! The icing resisted every attempt I made to dislodge it from the squeeze bottles. I finally just blasted them with hot water and set them in the sink to think about the error of their ways. They are still there. I am simply too tired to go another round with them until after I’ve had my before dinner martini! And perhaps if I wait long enough, Mr. C. will get tired of looking at them and try his hand at dislodging the edible (I think) plaster of Paris like icing I inadvertently concocted. But enough about my trials and tribulations. Sigh…. And more about these cookies.

This is basically my favorite spice cookie recipe. I’ve been making these cookies – Speculaas (Dutch Spice Cookies) since I was introduced to them in 2004 by our dear friends Nile and Sarah at a cookie exchange party we hosted at our Bellevue home. And yes, I make them every year. I’m actually fearful that if I don’t send these cookies in my kids Christmas goodies packages, things might turn ugly. So, I’ve never taken the chance.

So dear readers, if you want to make a fantastic cookie to share with your friends and family that travels well and stays fresh for weeks, this is the cookie to build. And no, you don’t need to cut the cookies into gingerbread men and women. You can choose any shape you wish, or just cut into squares. That works too.

As always, stay happy and healthy. Keep remembering that for many of us, the true meaning of Christmas is in Christ’s own message of peace and goodwill towards man.

There’s a wonderful old gospel song, “This Little Light of Mine” that I feel is very relevant for our world today.  It became an anthem of the civil rights movement in the 1950’s and 60’s. People sang it and other spirituals during the Civil Rights Movement as a way of expressing unity as they fought for equal rights and freedom for everyone. So, dear readers, let your own little light shine. Bring the joy of the holidays to as many people as you can. Peace and love to all.

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1½ c. brown sugar, packed

3 T. brandy or rum (I use brandy)

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 T. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. salt

Beat butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the brandy. Whisk the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt together and add to the butter mixture. Beat until completely combined. 

Form dough into a ball. Knead the ball on a surface sprinkled with a bit of flour. Roll the dough between ¼ – ⅓ inch thick. (I go more towards the ¼-inch thickness). Using your gingerbread men and women cookie cutters, cut as many cookies as possible and place on an ungreased cookie sheet one inch apart. With the dough that is left, form it into another ball and roll out as before. Keep going until all the dough is used. (The last bit can always just be rolled into a flat circle and enjoyed by the cook.)

Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until brown and firm. Do not under-bake. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate when completely cool if so inclined. Just don’t ask me for an icing recipe. I am ill equipped for that task.

 Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container. And then, nibble away.