Nutcracker Ornaments

Want to learn how to make these adorable ornaments?  Check back tomorrow for {part 2} of my tutorial on making cookie ornaments.  The possibilities are endless and they make the best gifts.  I already have two pages of notes on these in my "Little Black Book" of cookie ideas.

Today I tried a variation of my gingerbread recipe that was SOOOOO good, I had to share...

SweetSugarBelle’s Orange Gingerbread

*START YOUR OVEN NOW!!! 375°*

•  ½ c butter flavor Crisco
• ½ c butter
• ½ c granulated sugar
• ½ c dark brown sugar
• 1 ¼c unsulphured molasses (do like Giada says, and Pam it first.  It pours much easier)
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 1 tsp ornage zest (save the orange to flavor your RI)
• 2 eggs
• 5-5 ½c all-purpose flour (sometimes even six)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼- ½ tsp ground white pepper (optional for some, a must for me)

Cream together shortening butter and granulated sugar. To that, add the molasses and eggs.

*remember to crack your eggs into a separate dish and beat them a little before adding them to the mix so you don't end up with egg shell or scrambled egg in your cookies*

Whip that until it’s light and fluffy…then sift all of your dry ingredients into a large bowl. When you get that all incorporated, use a measuring cup to add the dry ingredients about a cup at a time.
This dough NEEDS to be chilled for AT LEAST an hour. Its sticky and wet, so if it isn’t cold, rolling and cutting is misery. 

To cut out the cookies, use flour and parchment paper. Working with small pieces of dough, dust the paper with flour and roll out to somewhere between a quarter and half inch. You will have to dust the top of the dough with flour also. If you want to freeze them a little before baking, that's okay...Bake 375°for 9-11 minutes.

These smell and taste wonderful.  I have saved a fortune in candles since gingerbread season began =)