Gingerbread Springerle

½ cup butter

½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed

½ cup molasses

1 egg

3½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ cup buttermilk

Grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, cream butter; gradually add sugar beating until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg, mixing well.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices, mixing well. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk beginning and ending with flour mixture. Shape into a ball; cover and chill 2 hours.

Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Dust dough with flour. With a springerle mold or rolling pin, press designs into dough. Remove excess flour from designs with a soft pastry brush or paint brush. Cut cookies along design lines and place on prepared cookie sheets. Cover with a cloth and let stand 8 hours or overnight to set design.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Makes 36 cookies.

Nutrition values per serving: 100 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 16 g carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 2 g protein, 15 mg cholesterol, 75 mg sodium.

"Christmas Cookies" (1986 Oxmoor House)