- In a bowl, combine the flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
- In another bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and molasses with an electric mixer. Add the egg and mix well. With the machine running on low speed or with a wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a disc with your hands. Cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured work surface or between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the dough out until ¼ inch (5 mm) thick. Using a 2 ¼-inch (6 cm) round cookie cutter or another shape of your choice, cut out the cookies. Reuse any dough scraps. Arrange the cookies spaced out on the baking sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden. Let cool completely on the baking sheets, about 30 minutes.
- Decorate the cooled cookies with royal icing or writing gel (see Chef’s tip).
Chef’s tip
To make your own royal icing, in a bowl, whisk 1 ½ cups (195 g) icing sugar and 1 egg white with an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Add a few drops of water or more icing sugar as needed.