Christmas Cooking for Dummies by Dede Wilson is a great help for gastronomically challenged people who actually have to prepare the Christmas feast for the first time. It contains 100 of the simplest Christmas recipes with step by step guides, tips and checklists and a special section on Christmas decoration. One of the recipes of the book is for gingerbread people. Enjoy it!

Gingerbread People

If you like a crisper gingerbread cookie, roll these out a bit thinner and bake an extra minute. This crispier version is best for hanging ornaments. For a thicker, chewier cookie, follow the instructions and make sure not to over bake.

Preparation time: 10 minutes, 2 hours cooling time
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Yield: 45, 3-inch cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (TIP: carefully soften the butter in the microwave if you forget to bring it to room temperature. )
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
1 large egg
3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Decorations:
Cinnamon red-hot candies
Currants

1. Cream the butter with flat paddle attachment of electric mixer on high speed until soft, about 3 minutes. Beat in sugar and continue beating for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, then beat in egg, scraping down bowl once or twice.
2. Sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, mixing just until each batch is blended. Shape into a large flat ball by hand, kneading a few times until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll out.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with pan coating.
4. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes as desired using either a gingerbread person shape, or any other of your choice. Transfer to cookie sheets using a broad angled spatula, leaving at least 2-inches in-between. Place similar sized cookies on the same sheet. To make hanging ornaments, punch holes in the tops of the shapes with the blunt edge of a chopstick.
5. For decoration, place red-hot candies or currants on people to make eyes, noses, mouths and buttons.
6. Bake for about 12 minutes, depending on size, rotating pans front to back once during baking. They should just begin to brown around the edges and feel firm to the touch. Cool pans on racks for a few minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Let pans cool completely before proceeding with next batch; you may re-use the parchment. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks or freeze for up to one month.