Best Gingerbread Cookie Dough

I've baked a lot of cookies and made many gingerbread houses over the years and this is a great cookie dough to work with and makes a very tasty cookie that stands on it's own without fancy icing  or just a simple powdered sugar glaze.  This dough is for cookies and not sturdy enough for gingerbread  houses. I found this recipe on Food.com.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix in a separate bowl, combine:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbls ground ginger
1 3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

In a mixer with paddle attachment, combine:

6 tbls room temperature unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg at room temperature
1/2  cup molasses
2 tsp vanilla

Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix until just absorbed.  Wrap dough in plastic and let rest at room temperature for at least two hours and up to eight or up to four days in the refrigerator.
Divide dough in half and rewrap unused half and return to refrigerator.

Roll out on floured surface with floured rolling pin to 1/4 inch.  Use cookie cutter to cut into shapes.

Bake 7-8 minutes, depending on size of cutter.  Let sit on baking sheet for 1or 2 minutes after removing from oven before cooling on a wire rack.  Cool completely before decorating.