This is one of my all-time favorite recipes to serve for brunch or a Sunday morning breakfast.  The Jam and Cream Cheese Braid is also beautiful for Holidays!  My grandma used to make this on Christmas and it quickly became a family favorite.  I tend to make it quite often because it’s SO easy and looks like you spent hours in the kitchen.

The recipe involves yeast, but DON’T be afraid!  I know working with yeast can be intimidating, but all you need to remember is that yeast likes the same temperature that we do.  When you are dissolving it in water, you want to use water that is the temperature of bath water.  If it’s too cool the yeast won’t activate and rise.  If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast.  Test your water with your finger.  If you wouldn’t set foot in a tub of water that temperature, adjust it until it feels just right.

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They certainly don’t have to be in the shape of gingerbread men.  When I get the urge to make this recipe in the middle of summer, round cookies with plain icing is a good way to go too.

Happy baking!

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Ok, friends.  I think I should just change the title of this post to Magic Cookies, because they HAVE to be magic.  They have no flour, no butter, and no shortening… and they’re amazing!  Magic, I’m telling you!

My naturopath shared this recipe with me because she know that I’m obsessed with baking.

**Side story.  My naturopath is amazing.  Her name is Dr. Rhian Young and she owns Purity Health.  Any of you who have know me for any amount of time, in real life (outside of the web world), know that I’m CONSTANTLY sick.  I can’t seem to catch a break between illness and injury.  Well, I’ve been doing better and better each year.  She’s been helping me figure things out one by one.**

Ok, back to the story.  Dr. Young shared this cookie recipe with me and I was skeptical.  How good could this cookie be without butter, shortening, or flour.  She said her family said it was the best cookie she had ever made.  So, I tried it.  Ummm. Wow!

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The invention of the gingerbread cookie is right up there with the invention chocolate chips, in my book. This is one of those recipes that has been part of the Holidays for as long as I can remember. My mom says the recipe came from a newspaper many, many years ago.  The original recipe calls these cookies Molasses Cookie Cutouts.

My mom had awesome cookie cutters when I was little.  I loved her Halloween cookie cutters.  They were orange plastic owl, witch, cat, and pumpkins.  The gingerbread man was my favorite.

I found these pictures of cookie cutters for sale on Ebay.  I think they are just like my mom’s.

A couple of years ago my sister-in-law and I decided to find them on Ebay.  We were able to replace her broken gingerbread man and I bought one for myself too.  These must have been really popular, back in the day, because they weren’t too hard to find.

I’m always asked what my recipe is for the frosting I use on my cookies.  I just use powdered sugar and milk.  I put powdered sugar in a bowl and add a tiny bit of milk.  I stir that until I get the consistency that I want.  The kids love to frost their own cookies and they are finally getting pretty good at it. They always ask me how my cookies look so neatly frosted and I remind them that I have had about 35 years of practice.  I have been frosting cookies with my mom since the time I needed a stool to reach the counters.

Enjoy! Happy baking and Happy Thanksgiving!

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