Egg-Free Gingerbread Cookies (easy to work with!)

1/2 cup margarine or shortening
1/2 cup brown or white sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
3 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/3 cup water

Directions

Cream margarine and sugar. Beat in molasses. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with 1/4 cup water (1/3 cup for molding cookies). Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4". Cut to desired shapes and place about 1" apart on baking sheet. Keep trays of approximately equal sized cookies or some will be done before others. Bake at 350 °F for 8-12 minutes depending on size and thickness. Remove to rack and coll. Decorate with sprinkles or sugar before baking, or with decorative icing after cooled. Notes   This dough can be held for a few days tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before working with it. If decorating with sprinkles before baking, brush lightly with water to get the sprinkles to stick. You can decorate these cookies with Mock Royal Icing or Vanilla Glaze Icing Copyright © 1999 Kathy Przywara. All rights reserved. The copyright of this recipe is retained by the original recipe creator. If you would like to publish this recipe elsewhere in print or online, please contact us to find out how to obtain permission.