Christmas Cookie Carnival: Frosted Ginger Cookies

Today's cookie is a great one for shipping, packing into cookie tins or just munching down on with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of tea. :)  If you are looking for a cookie with a classic Christmas taste this is the one!  Spicy, tasty, crisp yet chewy ginger cookies with a simple glaze that I tinted green for the holiday.

See how cute and sturdy they are?  You could stack these up in some cellophane and wrap with a pretty ribbon...but wait, we're not done yet.

Yeah, a drizzle of sweet green glaze and these babies are ready to go.  Simple, but oh so yummy.

Frosted Ginger Cookies

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
3 tbs molasses
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbs water
1 tsp lemon juice
additional sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl cream butter and sugar.  Mix in egg and molasses.  In a medium bowl stir together flour, soda and spices.  Add to butter mixture and blend well.  Break off  walnut sized pieces of dough and shape into balls; roll in sugar.  Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Transfer to a cooling rack.  Meanwhile, make glaze:  Combine powdered sugar and water and stir until smooth.  Then add in lemon juice.  You can tint the glaze with food coloring if you desire.  Drizzle glaze over cookies.

Before you begin a baking project, fill your sink with hot, soapy water.  Add used dishes to the water as you go.  When you are done baking the dishes will be super easy to clean.