White Chocolate Drizzled Chocolate Gingerbread Christmas Cookies

Ingredients

⅓ cup hot water
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 cup butter-flavored shortening
¾ cup regular white granulated sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 extra-large egg
1 cup molasses
1 cup flour
½ cup quality dutch-processed cocoa powder
1½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbl. cinnamon
4 more cups flour
1 lb. white chocolate almond bark, melted

Instructions

For Cookies:

Place cloves in hot water, set aside.

In large mixer bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Add vanilla and egg, and beat. Add molasses and beat again. (*Scrape bottom and sides as needed.) Remove cloves from water and discard cloves. Add clove water and beat. Mixture will look “curdled”.

Add rest of ingredients except the last 4 cups of flour and beat well. Gradually beat in last 4 cups of flour.

Scrape dough out of bowl and mound onto a piece of plastic wrap forming into a disk. Wrap tightly and chill.

When chilled, roll out to a ⅓″ thickness or a bit less, on well-floured surface, (flouring rolling pin, too.) And keep flouring rolling pin as needed. Cut into shapes and place onto ungreased baking sheets. Decorate with raisins if desired or bake plain to decorate after baking.

Bake in 375º F oven for 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove carefully to wire racks to cool. *Cookies will be soft but will firm up after cooling.

For White Chocolate:

In microwave-safe bowl, melt bark according to package directions making sure that you don't overheat it and scorch it. Place cookies onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate moving hand back and forth quickly for a fine stream of chocolate. Let set until hardened. Snap off extra overhang.

Notes

*This recipe can easily be halved. To use half of an egg, crack egg into a bowl, beat well, then use just half of it. (Use leftover beaten egg for breakfast!)
**Or, you can make a full batch, divide the dough in half, place a mound on a sheet of plastic wrap and press and shape it into a disk for easy rolling later, wrap it well, place it into a freezer bag, and freeze it for a later use.