Try out this tasty holiday recipe to make your celebration a little bit sweeter.

Planning to bake for the holidays?  Change things up by whipping up a batch of these delicious gingerbread cookies and gather all your loved ones for a cookie decorating party!  This tasty holiday recipe is sure to bring smiles to everyone's face this year. Gingerbread Cookies Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1„2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3„4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1„4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 3„4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1„4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3„4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1„2 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)

Special Tools:

• Hand mixer
• Cookie sheets
• Rolling pin
• Cookie cutters of your choice

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well combined.
2. In a large bowl use hand mixer to beat the butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended. Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest, and continue to mix until well blended.
3. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.
4. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare cookie sheets by generously greasing them or lining them with parchment paper.
6. Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin and then roll dough until it is about 1/4-inch thick.  Dust your cookie cutter with flour to avoid sticking, and use the cutter to shape your cookies.
7. Place your cookies on the cookie sheet 1 1/2-inches apart. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (the lower time will give you softer cookies).
8. Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack.
9. After the cookies are cool, decorate them however you like, or serve them as is.

Try out this tasty holiday recipe to impress all your guests this year!  We at Little & Sons Insurance Agency would like to take a moment to wish everyone a very happy holiday season, from our family to yours.  Serving Banning and the surrounding cities in California, contact us for assistance with all your insurance needs.