Stage Planks

3 to 3½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tbl. ground ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

¾ cup molasses

¼ cup sugar

6 tbls. unsalted butter, softened

1 cup buttermilk

Royal icing (optional, recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together 3 cups flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment, add molasses, sugar and butter. Mix on medium-high speed until color turns lighter and mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes. On low mixer speed, alternate flour and buttermilk with butter mixture. Raise speed to medium and mix 30 seconds. Dough should be soft yet stiff enough to roll out. If not stiff enough, mix in up to ½ cup more flour to reach proper consistency.

4. On a hard, heavily floured surface, roll dough to a 10x16-inch rectangle. Slice down the middle horizontally, then vertically at 2-inch intervals to make 16 cookies. Place individual pieces at least 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake until tops are firm, about 15 minutes. (Rotate pans in oven halfway during baking time.) Remove from oven and cool completely in pans. Serve plain or frosted.

Royal Icing

Makes 3½ cups.

¼ cup meringue powder (found in specialty food stores)

½ cup water

1 tbl. fresh lemon juice

1 (1-lb.) box confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Food colorings

In a medium mixing bowl, combine meringue powder, water, lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until icing forms stiff peaks, about 6 minutes. Divide into small bowls and add food coloring as desired. Can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.