A Winter Cookie Recipe

When stuck in the house during the cold season, why not help your child make this easy and delicious recipe? This is a great way to bond and you can even select some festive tins in which you can take this treat to a Christmas party, Valentine's Day party or even give a couple to Grandma for a gift.
This easy recipe is called Glove and Mitten cookies. To make this delightful treat all that is needed is ½ cup sugar, ½ shortening, ½ cup molasses, 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 egg and some powdered sugar frosting. 
Once you have gathered together all of the ingredients, you will start by beating the shortening in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer on either high or medium speed for 30 seconds. Now you are going to add the cloves, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, and sugar and beat this mixture until all the ingredients are well combined. 
Next, beat in the egg and molasses until combined. Once that is complete, beat in as much flour that you can, using the mixer on medium speed. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and then stir any left over flour using a wooden spoon. You are now ready to divide the dough into thirds. Once divided, cover and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or until the dough is easier to handle. While the dough is chilling, trace your child's or children’s hands onto cardboard or heavy paper to create the mitten and glove shapes. Make sure to even the shapes out and then cut them out. Set to the side for now. 
After the dough has chilled, roll one-third of it onto a greased cookie sheet at a quarter inch thickness. Your rolling pin should be dusted in flour to prevent sticking. Place the glove and mitten patterns on the dough leaving a three-quarter inch distance between cookies. Cut along the patterns with a knife and remove any excess dough. By doing it this way, instead of rolling the dough on your counter and attempting to move the cut cookies to the sheet, the cookies will retain their shapes. Now bake the cookies at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies have set.  Allow the cookies to cool for two minutes. Once they have cooled for a few minutes move them to a rack and allow them to cool completely. Repeat until all the dough has been baked. Now you are ready to make the powdered sugar frosting and decorate. 
To make the powdered sugar frosting you will need to stir together in a small mixing bowl 2 tablespoons of milk and 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar. Stir in the rest of the milk 1 teaspoon at a time until the icing is a smooth consistency. Now separate in several portions adding drops of food coloring. If you need a thicker frosting just add a little bit of powdered sugar. If using the hands of more than one child as patterns it is fun to keep their cookies straight by writing their names or initials in icing on their own cookies. This recipe will yield 18 cookies depending on pattern size. Make some cups of hot chocolate and the kids will have a treat perfect for when they come in from playing in the snow and cold.