Latin-style Gingerbread Cookies

By Harry Pagancoss

Navidad is finally here! I know a lot of us have special seasonal foods from our different countries: arroz con gandules, roast pork, guajolote, tamales, crema de vie, coquito, you name it.  If I could taste them all, I would. There is something about this time of the year that makes us all want to be home or remember happy times with friends and our families. Do you have a special recipe request?

One thing we can all see from New York to Miami and Chicago to Los Angeles are gingerbread cookies.

Those little man-shapped cookies with buttons and a happy face surely do taste good. While the most famous gingerbread man has starred in the Shrek series, I am sharing with you a super easy recipe to make at home but with a Latin twist. These are perfect for a party and if you feel inclined, you can prepare these cookies with your friends, which can be a lot of fun.

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, coffee, egg, and vanilla until creamy. Add the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed.
3. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness.
5. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven.
7. When cool, the cookies can be frost with the icing of your choice (buy vanilla frosting at the store) and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

Tags cooking, gingerbread cookies, Harry Pagancoss, Holidays, Recipes, Shrek