Gitmo Gingerbread Men

I was never much on gingerbread cookies, certainly not gingerbread men, (or women either, for that matter), but that all changed a couple of years ago when these nifty little gingerbread people cutters with missing limbs turned me into a gingerbread cookie aficionado. A momentary craze, and having been featured in Bon Appetit no less, the little suckers proved almost impossible to find, but a dogged search turned them up on ebay at six times the price. They have, however, over the years, proven simply priceless.

With gingerbread men that look like these, who really cares what they taste like? Well, since I do, I've found a wonderful, crisp, not-too-sweet, but just right, gingerbread cookie recipe to complement them. They're easy to make, keep for weeks in an air-tight tin, and make perfect "a little something to let you know we're thinking of you" presents for the terrorist or political prisoner on your holiday gift list.

These cookies have been tortured, bitten, mauled and mutilated. I call them my Gitmo Gingerbread Men. You can call them anything you like. In fact, you could even make them with ordinary gingerbread men cookie cutters, but what's the fun in that?


Enjoy!

CRISP GINGERBREAD COOKIES

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
2 tablespoons milk

In food processor fitted with steel blade, process flour, sugar, ciinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking soda until combined.

Cut butter into small pieces and scatter over flour mixture. Process until mixture resembles the texture of meal.

With processor running, gradually add molasses and milk. Process until dough is evenly moistened and forms soft lump. (Note, you may need to "pulse" and scrape down the bowl a couple of times as this mixture is thick and doughy.)

Scrape dough onto work surface, divide into quarters. Roll each quarter between two sheets of parchment paper until about 1/8 inch thick. Leaving dough sandwiched between parchment, stack on cookie and place in freezer. Freeze until firm, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment.

Remove dough from freezer. Peel off parchment. Cut into gingerbread men or desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheets and bake 15 to 20 minutes, rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking.

Cook to room temperature. Decorate if desired.

Gather scarps. Repeat rolling, freezing, cutting and baking until all dough is used.

Makes a whole bunch of cookies which, if sealed in a air-tight container, will remain crisp and good for several weeks, in the unlikely event that they last that long.