Gingerbread Men

Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using a stand mixer or electric beater on speed 7 for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Step 3: Add the egg and vanilla, then mix on speed 5 until combined, about 30 seconds.

Step 4: Add the molasses and mix for 1 minute on speed 2.

Step 5: Add one-quarter of the dry ingredients and mix until no flour is visible. Start on speed 1 to keep flour from flying everywhere. Repeat until all the dry ingredients are mixed in, then mix for a further 15 seconds. The dough should be soft and a little sticky.

Step 6: Pat the dough into a disc, wrap it, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm.

Step 7: Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C (170°C fan) and set a shelf in the middle. Line 3 baking trays with parchment or baking paper.

Step 8: Take the dough out of the refrigerator and cut it in half. Wrap one half and return it to the fridge.

Step 9: Sprinkle a sheet of baking paper very lightly with flour. Place the dough on it, sprinkle its surface very lightly with flour, then cover with another sheet of baking paper. Roll the dough to 4 mm / 1/6 inch thick. As you work, flip it; if the paper wrinkles, peel it off and put it back, smoothing out the wrinkles.

Step 10: Use a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut out gingerbread men, pressing firmly all the way through. If the dough sticks to the cutter, dip the cutter in flour.

Step 11: Use a palette knife or large knife to transfer the shapes to a baking sheet. Place 6 on the first sheet. Tidy the edges with a butter knife if needed.

Step 12: Bake for 12 minutes for a light golden finish or 14 minutes for a darker, crisper finish. Remove the tray and let the cookies cool fully on it.

Step 13: Meanwhile, gather the dough scraps, press them together and roll them out again. If the dough is sticky, return it to the refrigerator and work on the other half instead. Repeat rolling and cutting. The recipe makes 18 to 20 gingerbread men, depending on cutter size.

Step 14: Fill the second and third trays with gingerbread men, placing 6 to 8 on each tray, and bake them. Bake one tray at a time while preparing the next: roll, cut, fill and bake each tray in turn.

Step 15: Let the cookies cool fully on the trays, then decorate. Use half a batch of Royal Icing to pipe on decorations and attach them. The icing sets hard and does not soak into the cookies. The recipe makes more icing than needed; freeze any leftover icing in a fully sealed piping bag for future use.