1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup light molasses
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
Decorations:
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered egg white
Red and green decorating sugars
1. Beat butter and granulated sugar in bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine flour, baking soda and both gingers in small bowl. Stir into butter mixture. Divide dough in half; shape into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Heat oven to 350 F. On lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out stars. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets. Gather scraps, refrigerate and re-roll for more cookies. Chill cookies 10 minutes to firm.
3. Bake cookies at 350 F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
4. For decorating: Blend confectioners’ sugar, powdered egg white and 1/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Beat on high for 7 minutes, until smooth. Ice cookies and then coat with colored sugars. Let stand to dry.
Yields: 4 dozen
