Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients
8 ounces all purpose flour
4 ounces whole wheat flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temp.
3 ounces sugar
3 ounces brown sugar
1⁄4 cup pure cane syrup
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix the dry ingredients (all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger,
cinnamon and salt) together in a bowl and set aside.
3. Cream together the soft butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. Mix at medium speed.
5. Add the cane syrup and vanilla and mix until completely blended in.
6. Mix at medium-low speed.
7. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until completely blended in.
8. Mix at medium-low speed.
9. Add the dry ingredients and mix until a thick, dry dough forms.
10. Mix at low speed.
11. Place the dough on to a large sheet of parchment paper. Flatten the dough slightly into a disk. Wrap the
dough in the parchment paper and refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
12. Divide the dough into halves. Keep the half you're not working with in the fridge. Roll the other half out on
a slightly floured surface to about 1⁄8" inch thick. Using snowflake or flower cookie cutters, cut out
variously shaped cookies and place them on a baking sheet.
13. Press the remaining dough together and mix it into a ball. Roll it out again and cut additional cookies from
the dough. Continue this until the dough is gone.
14. Repeat steps 8 and 9 with the second half.
15. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 11 to 15 minutes or until the edges just start to
brown. Cookies baked for 11 or 12 minutes should still be soft. Cookies baked any longer will be more
firm. Cookies baked for 15 minutes will be crisp.
16. Let cool on the baking sheet a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Royal Icing

Ingredients
8 to 10+ ounces powdered sugar
11⁄2 fluid ounces egg whites,
about 2 egg whites
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
1 drop lemon juice

Instructions
1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Test the consistency and adjust accordingly.