Baking is important to me because it is fun, and if you ask a friend to help you bake, it’ll make it doubly fun. Here is how to make a delicious holiday dessert for you, your friends, and family to enjoy together: Gingerbread cookies!

Gathering ingredients
2 sticks of cut (cubed) butter = 1 cup or 8 ounces.
2 ½ cups of dark brown sugar (light brown for mild taste) = 20 ounces
2 large eggs
½ salt (kosher for Jewish people)
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of ground clove (this and the next ingredient are optional but recommended)
½ teaspoon of allspice (once again, this is optional but recommended)
4 cups (17 ounces) of all-purpose flour (measure carefully)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F (170C). Take two sheet pans and line them with parchment paper.
Put the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer. With a stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar for three minutes on medium. When done, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
Then, add the eggs, salt, ginger, clove, cinnamon, and allspice, (if using it and clove) into the bowl. Keep mixing on medium speed for 1 minute. Keep mixing if the ingredients haven’t mixed together. Then scrape down the sides again.
Next, put the mixer on low speed, and slowly add the flour (by spoon or pouring it in) just until it combines with the rest. You might need to help combine them by kneading it gently with your hands.
Once done, you will have a very thick dough. For this part, a parent is recommended to help. Gather the dough together into a ball, then cut the ball in half. Then, lightly flour a clean workspace and begin with one-half of the dough. Again, lightly flour a rolling pin and the top of the dough. Roll to ¼-⅓ inches thick. Thicker will be softer, and thinner will be crunchier.
Cut your cookies out and put them on the baking sheets from step 1.
Bake at 350 F (170 C) for 9-12 minutes. Longer bake times produce crispier cookies
If you are planning on decorating, press candies and sprinkles into the cookies about a minute after they are out of the oven, as it cools them down enough to do so, but enough to press them in. For frosting, wait for the cookies to cool completely, then apply frosting.