There's just something about the smell of gingerbread wafting through the chilled winter. Each season, like clockwork, these crispy spiced cookies start showing up in bakeries and pastry shops all over town. Here's how to make gingerbread cookies at home the easy way.

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and mix together by hand or using a mixer on low speed until well combined.
2. Wrap dough in plastic wrap in a 1 inch-thick brick, and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours until firm.
3. Once dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Divide dough into two equal pieces. Rewrap one piece and place it back in the fridge.
5. Working with the second piece, roll dough out on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch-thick (thinner dough will make crispier cookies). Cut dough using a cookie cutter into desired shape, and place cookies on the baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between them.
6. Continue re-rolling and cutting scraps until all dough is used up. Then repeat with the other piece of dough from the fridge.
7. Bake for 8-12 minutes until just starting to turn brown on the edges. Remove from the oven, and let cookies cool for 5 minutes on sheet before moving to a cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating, or enjoy as is.