Cookie Countdown - Gingerbread Men

When Jeff was in kindergarten his school class made gingerbread men cookies, and his teacher sent home the recipe. Normally our family doesn't care for gingerbread cookies, but surprisingly, everybody actually liked this recipe. Maybe you will too.

Gingerbread Men Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 small boxes butterscotch pudding mix*
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups flour

Cream shortening and sugar; mix in egg. Add dry pudding mix, flour and spices. Mix together. Roll dough 1/4" thick and cut with 4" cookie cutter. Decorate with raisins. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes. Makes 30 cookies (or about 12 if using 6" cookie cutter).

** Can substitute 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons dry milk, 2 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon ginger for one package of pudding mix. You could double it and substitute for both packages of pudding, but then the dough isn't as dark or flavorful. The half homemade/half store version works great.

The original recipe - too bad the helper didn't know how to spell Jeff's name.