In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
Add brown sugar, ginger, pepper, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
Beat in egg and molasses until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spool, stir in any remain flour mix.
Divide dough in half. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours or until easy to handle.
Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper, set aside.
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On lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time to 1/4-in thickness.
Using a 6X4 house shaped cooke cutter, cut out dough. Cut out small heart shaped windows from houses if desired. Cut additional ehart from scraps for decorations. Place house shapes on the prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch apart; place heart cutouts on a separate prepared cookie sheet because they may bake at a rate different from the heart shapes.
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Bake house shapes in a 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until tops of cookies appear dry (bake heart shapes about 8 minutes). Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire rack; cool.
When cookies are cool, decorate if desired with heart cutouts, candies, and icing, attaching candies and cutouts with icing. Makes 8 cookies.
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