Decorating Cookies Takes a Certain Touch (Okay, Craziness)

NOT FOR REUSE/Roxanne's Decorated Gingerbread cookies (Renee Comet - For The Washington Post)

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I favor gingerbread for my cookie canvas, but shortbread or butter cookies also work well. If you go with one of those, just make sure your recipe doesn't have a lot of baking soda or baking powder, which would cause the cookies to lose their shape. This recipe was handed down by my mother, and I've tweaked it over the years. For instance, now that Crisco makes butter-flavored shortening, I use that.

5 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cloves

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup butter-flavored vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark molasses

2 eggs