3 Cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 Cup light molasses
1/2 Cup melted butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1 lightly beaten egg
Mix together dry ingredients in your mixer bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the molasses, sugar, and melted butter, then add to the dry mixture. Add the beaten egg last, and beat just until well-combined. Chill the dough at least one hour before rolling. Roll the cookies thick, then bake in a 350 oven for approximately 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of your shapes.
Simple Milk Icing: 1 Cup powdered sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon milk, stir well. Add more milk just a few drops at a time until you get the consistency you want. You don't want it too runny, it should be thick and when you run a knife through it, it should take 7-10 seconds for the icing to come together again, making the knife mark disappear. You can always add more powdered sugar if you thin it too much. Use a pastry bag to pipe on designs, or frost with a knife for simpler shapes.
Let the cookies dry overnight before packaging or stacking them. This icing takes longer to dry than royal icing, but it is tastier.
