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Gingerbread Trees with Lemon Icing

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups plain flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 
  

1. Make cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until creamy, 3 minutes. Add egg and beat to combine. Add molasses and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 1/2cm thickness. With a sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut dough into small wide triangles. Arrange triangles, 2cm apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are firm and golden at edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

Icing

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/3 cups icing sugar
• Sanding or coarse sugar (optional)

Make icing: In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and icing sugar and whisk until smooth. 

Drizzle icing over cooled cookies and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired.