Gingerbread

1/3 cup canola oil
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup soy milk
1 cup pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg,
cloves,
cinnamon
1 ½ tsp ground ginger

Preheat 350º F



Mix together oil and sugar. Add molasses and soymilk. Mix well. The concoction may not blend completely, but that's OK.

In a seperate bowl, sift all the other (dry) ingredients and mix. Add dry ingredients to the wet in batches. Mix with a firm wooden spoon until well combined.

Flatten dough, wrap in plastic and chill for an hour. You can chill up to 24 hours, but if you chill longer than an hour, leave out at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly.

Roll dough on a well floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Cut out shapes and place on lightly greased cookie sheets, with a little space between each cookie.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350º F

Move to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before decorating.

To make icing, use powdered sugar and water mixed to the consistancy of thin toothpaste. Pipe using an icing tool or a cleverly imporvised sandwich bag.

Store airtight. Enjoy with a glass of soymilk on a cold winter evening.