Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

• Beat the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.

• Mix the egg in thoroughly and then add the molasses. Scrape the sides of the bowl well between additions.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Slowly add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Mix just until everything is combined.

• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it for at least 4 hours or overnight so that it is firm.

• Roll out the chilled dough on a floured work surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. (Snowflakes, stars, gingerbread people and ornaments are all great shapes to hang as decorations on a tree. Just be sure to use a straw to cut a hole for your ribbon before baking.) Transfer the cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets. Be careful to keep similar-sized cookies together, as smaller cookies will bake faster than larger ones.

• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until the cookies begin to firm and darken slightly around the edges. Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

• For the icing, whip the whites on low speed until they thin a little and begin to foam slightly.

• If the confectioners’ sugar is hard and lumpy, sift it. Then add it in 2 batches on low speed until all of the sugar is moistened. Whip on high speed until the mixture is very shiny and stiff peaks form. Be patient, this may take 5 minutes.

• Flavor the icing with a little extract. If you want to create “run-in” icing that covers the cookie completely, thin the icing with water, orange juice or lemon juice.

• Separate the icing into small bowls; leave some white and color the rest. Regular food color works fine, but paste colors available at craft supply stores are even better.

• The iced cookies will need to lay out at room temperature for at least several hours to dry. Afterward, layer them between parchment paper in an airtight container or hang directly on a Christmas tree.