Tasty Tuesday: Spiced Gingerbread Piggies

Ooooh, the dear lovely taste of a gingerbread cookie. I love the Christmas holiday just because of the treats people bake or have at their house. Anything pertaining to Christmas in the arts and crafts area just warms my heart. Isn't it cute when you can bake cookies cut into little christmas trees, reindeers, elves, presents, snowmen and etc.? Yup, Well our favorite Food Network family the Neely's have batched up some yummy gingerbread animals. The Neely's bring to us "Spiced Gingerbread Piggies", I don't know where they got a pig from but from the looks of the picture the pink piggy looks good enough to eat #NoSwine lol. Without further adu, I present you today's Tasty Tuesday with Spiced Gingerbread Piggies, Bon Appetite!

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup mild molasses

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Royal Icing, recipe follows

Special equipment: 5-inch-long and 3-inch-wide copper piggy cookie cutter

Directions

Combine butter, sugar, and molasses in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in increments, and continue to beat until thoroughly mixed together.
Pour the dough out onto the countertop and divide into 3 pieces. Press each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 1 to 2 hours, or up to 3 days.

Adjust the racks to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper.

Spread 2 large pieces of parchment paper out and very lightly flour them. Place a disk of dough between the parchment sheets and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with the remaining disks of dough. Rework all the scraps into balls and re-chill before reusing. Repeat with all the dough.

Cut out cookies and place on the parchment-lined sheet trays with an offset spatula, leaving 1 inch between each cookie. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the sheet trays for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to continue cooling to room temperature before decorating the cookies with Royal Icing.
Royal Icing:

2 egg whites

3 cups confectioners' sugar, whisked to remove lumps

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Food coloring, optional

Add the egg whites, sugar and lemon juice to a large bowl. Beat, using a hand mixer, until glossy and stiff, 5 to 6 minutes. Add food coloring, if using, and mix well. Place in icing bags with fine tips to decorate cookies.

Thanks To The Neely's For This Delicious Christmas Cookie Recipe. Hope To See Your Creative Christmas Cookies, Espeically The Gingerbread Ones! For Recipe Link Please Click Here!!!