Mrs. Claus’ favorite Gingerbread recipe is great for kids who don’t prefer the usual spicy, molasses taste of these cookies. Elves love them too! Add bowls of gum drops, colored candies and sugars, icing and some decorating tools and the kids will love decorating these cookies themselves.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3.5 ounce) package butterscotch pudding mix
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 whole egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the dry butterscotch pudding mix, butter, and brown sugar until very smooth.
   
2. Stir egg into mixture.
   
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon.  Add this to the pudding mixture to form a dough.
4. Cover, and chill dough until firm, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheet.
   
6. Lightly dust working space with flour and roll dough out to approximately 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut into Gingerbread Man shapes using a cookie cutter.  Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are golden at the edges. Cool on wire racks.