Gingerbread Trees with Lemon Icing
By Diane

Ingredients
Makes 60 cookies
For the cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup un sulfured molasses
For the icing:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
Sanding or coarse sugar (optional)
Directions
Make cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger,
cloves, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat
butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until creamy, 3 minutes. Add egg and
beat to combine. Add molasses and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed.
With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined. Wrap
dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. On a lightly
floured work surface, roll out dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. With a sharp knife
or cookie cutter, cut dough into small 2-inch-wide triangles. Arrange triangles,
1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are firm
and golden at edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire
racks.
Make icing: In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and confectioners' sugar and
whisk until smooth. Drizzle icing over cooled cookies and sprinkle with sanding
sugar, if desired.