Serving: Yields: about 3 dozen cookies
Cook Time: 55 minutes plus cooling and decorating
Total Time: 55 minutes plus cooling and decorating plus 12 minutes baking time per batch

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup margarine or butter (1 stick), cut into chunks
1 large egg, beaten
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Ornamental frosting (they mean "royal icing")
Clear nylon fishing line (optional)

1. In 3-quart saucepan, heat sugar, molasses, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up in pan).
Stir in margarine or butter until melted. With fork, stir in egg, then flour.

2. On lightly floured surface, knead dough until thoroughly mixed. Divide dough in half; wrap half of dough with plastic wrap and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. With floured rolling pin, roll half of dough slightly thinner than 1/4 inch. With floured 3- to 4-inch assorted cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; reserve trimmings. Place cookies, about 1/2 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Re-roll trimmings and cut out more cookies. If you like, with drinking straw, make a hole in top of each cookie for hanging.

4. Bake cookies 12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

5. When cookies are cool, prepare Ornamental Frosting; use to decorate cookies as desired. Set cookies aside to allow frosting to dry completely, about 1 hour. Store cookies in tightly covered container.

6. For wreath, tree, or window decorations, tie fishing line through hole in each cookie to make loop for hanging.

Each cookie without frosting:
About 90 calories, 1 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 3 g total fat (1 g saturated), 6 mg cholesterol, 105 mg sodium.

Based on individual serving.
Calories: 200
Total Fat: 3.0 g
Saturated Fat: 1.0 g
Cholesterol: 6.0 mg
Sodium: 105 mg
Carbohydrates: 15 g
Protein: 1.0 g