Gingerbread - Going for houses someday

Gingerbread Recipe 

 I had to label this so in the event I ever want to make gingerbread houses again, I'll know where to find the recipe when I hit search.

 The reality is gingerbread men, cookies, etc. is time consuming and lots of work for not enough utiles. "Utiles" being a measurement of the unmeasurable such as happiness, contentment, or worth versus the cost of doing something.

Chocolate Chip cookies are far easier, taste better, and don't take up even half or a quarter of the time and effort it takes to make a batch of gingerbread dough, cut it out, bake it and then decide whether or not to take the time to ice/decorate it.  Chocolate Chip cookies disappear faster.  Chocolate Chip cookies are fatal to weight loss.   Soooo.....

I made these gingerbread cookies to give out for Christmas and limited myself to two which is doable (not so with chocolate chip) and found not all recipes are even (unlike chocolate chip which varies a little and all of them work out and taste just fine - too fine).  If you happen to want a soft, little more healthy recipe that puffs up, tastes great - but doesn't always look straight try this one.    If you want a flat gingerbread man try this one off the web. (OK forget it I can't find it again, but there are PLENTY out there)  Now this is the one I'll maybe, someday, not in the foreseeable future make - and of course it comes from Laura Nausin.  She is famous for making houses and having parties with little kids all decorating the cute houses.

Sift together:

5 to 5 1/2 cups of flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp salt

3 tsp cinnnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp. ground cloves

2 tsp ground nutmeg

Beat until fluffy:

1 cup Solid Crisco

1 cup Sugar

Add to creamed mixture

1 cup molasses

1 egg (I added 2- maybe mine were too little)

Stir in sifted flour mixture.  Chill Overnight.  Roll dought to 1/8" to 1/4" thickness.  Dough should be no ticker than a graham cracker.  Cut out patterns. Bake on ungreased baking sheet in 350* oven 7 minutes for cookies, 8-10 for houses.