Holiday Spice Prints

3/4 cup/ 180 mL butter, softened
1 cup/ 250 mL dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1/4 cup/ 60 mL molasses
1 tsp/ 5 mL Original Double-Strength Vanilla
2-1/2 cups/ 625 mL all-purpose flour
2 tsp/ 10 mL baking soda
2 tsp/ 10 mL Ginger
1 tsp/ 5 mL Purest Ground Cinnamon
3/4 tsp/ 4 mL Cloves (Ground)
1/2 tsp/ 2.5 mL Allspice
1/4 tsp/ 1.2 mL salt, if desired
Granulated sugar

Cream butter and brown sugar; beat in egg, molasses and vanilla.  Combine flour, soda, spices and salt.  Stir into creamed mixture; chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.  Roll dough into 1-1/2-inch/35-mm balls; dip tops in granulated sugar. Place balls, sugar side up, about 3 inches/75 mm apart on greased cookie sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until set but not hard.  Firmly press top of each cookie as soon as it comes from oven with clay stamp or wooden butter mold.  Pierce top of each cookie with a drinking straw to make hole for hanging, if desired.

Cool on wire racks. When cool, thread each cookie with ribbon for hanging. Makes 5 dozen.

This delicious recipe was published in a Watkins catalog.   For maximum flavor and quality, prepare only with Watkins high quality ingredients as indicated.