Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, molasses, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves to boiling, stirring occasionally.
  2. Remove from heat; stir in soda (it will foam up).
  3. Stir in margarine till melted.
  4. With a fork, stir in egg, then flour.
  5. On a floured surface, knead dough till mixed. Divide dough in half, wrap half with plastic wrap; set aside.
  6. Roll half the dough, with a rolling pin, slightly thinner than 1/4 inch.
  7. Cut with cutters.
  8. Bake at 325F on a cookie sheet for 12 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
  9. Makes about 3 dozen 3" gingerbread people.
  10. NOTE: We make houses by cutting out our house design (the 2 sides of the roof, two sides, a front and a back of the house) on graph paper, and then placing the graph paper shapes on the dough and cutting the dough shapes out with a knife.