Ampelmann ginger cookies

Ingredients:
Flour or maida-3 cups,
Baking pwd- 3/4 tsp,
Ground ginger-2 tsp,
    Cinnamon pwd-1 tsp,
Clove pwd- 1/ tsp,
Nutmeg pwd-1/ tsp,
Butter- 113 gms,
Brown sugar or white sugar -1/2 cup,
Egg -1,
Milk- 1/4 cup- optional - if the jaggery is dry then add milk to the dough while mixing to bind the dough,
Jaggery pwd (bhura)- 1/2 cup or molasses - 160 ml.

Method:
Take a bowl and add 3 cups of sieved flour.

Add dry ginger pwd,cinnamon pwd,clove pwd,nutmeg pwd and baking pwd through a sieve.

Mix all with wire whisk and keep aside.
In a mixer bowl,beat butter till soft and creamy.

Add powdered jaggery and brown sugar and beat for 2 minutes till light and fluffy.( if using molasses then add it after the egg is beaten )

Add egg and beat for 30 seconds.

Add the flour mixture in three additions,mixing only till just incorporated.

If using molasses then the dough ball will be sticky and so it will be wrapped in a  plastic wrap and will be refrigerated for thirty minutes to firm the dough.
My dough is not very sticky as jaggery powder is used.If the mixture is dry then add 1/4 cup of milk or less to bind the mixture.

Gather the dough into two balls or you can divide it into four balls to make it easier to roll.

Place each ball on a cling film and then top it with a cling film.

Roll the dough with a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thickness.

Remove the top cling film.
Dip the Ampelmann cutter in plain flour and cut out the cookies.

My advice is to make in small batches so that the cut out cookies can easily be removed and do not break.
Gather the scraps and roll again to make more cut out cookies.
Place the cookies on a butter paper placed on the tray.
Leave some space between each cookies.
Place the tray with cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Pre heat oven to 350 F or 180 C
Once the oven is pre heated,bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes.

The edges will start to brown,then the cookies are ready.

Place the baked cookies on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the butter paper and place it on wire rack to cool completely.

You can decorate the cookies with royal icing,chocolate or butter cream.
Ginger cookies has many spices and so it has its own flavour and taste and can enjoyed fresh from the oven.

Makes 38 cookies.
Store in a box.