Perfect Cut-out Gingerbread

The dilemma with gingerbread cookies is making something that rolls out thin and can be strong enough to make a gingerbread house with, but that could also be cute little gingerbread people for decorating with buttons and frosting, AND that could be soft and yummy enough to eat for a snack! I feel like I've created the perfect recipe for gingerbread that you cut out. I also came up with a really good lemon-cream cheese frosting - tastes like gingerbread cake with lemon sauce.

Gingerbread:

5 1/2 C. flour (this amount keeps in mind the flour you will be mixing in when rolling the dough out.)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt (may add 1/2 tsp. more)

1 C. melted lard, coconut oil, or vegetable oil

1 C. molasses

1 C. brown sugar

1/2 C. water

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Sift flour with rest of spices. In a mixing bowl cream oil, sugar, molasses, egg & vanilla until well combined. Switch to a dough hook. Gradually add flour mixture. Mix well. Chill as flat and thin as possible (gallon ziploc bag perhaps) for no less than 3 hours. Roll out on floured surface to 1/4" thick, and cut out. Lincoln and I had fun doing little gingerbread men with sprinkles, we did all the Christmas shaped cutters, I did little circles using half of a small easter egg for bite sized cookies, and I did walls and a roof for a gingerbread house too. So fun! Bake @ 350 for 8-10 minutes. (The cookies should not look wet anymore when done; they should be puffed up a bit, but the bottoms and sides should not be browned at all. If you like yours a little crunchier, go ahead and let the bottoms brown a little bit.)

Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting - I did this for the small round cookies in - be careful, I couldn't stop eating them!

8 oz. cream cheese

4 Tbsp. softened butter

1 C. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Add the vanilla, lemon juice & zest. Store in refrigerator.