Recipe: Sherrill's Secret Soft Gingerbread Boys

Sherrill's Secret Soft Gingerbread Boys

Makes sixteen to eighteen 5-inch cookies

This is cookbook author Nancy Baggett's re-creation of a popular gingerbread cookie sold at a former Capitol Hill landmark eatery, Sherrill's Restaurant and Bakery. The cookies are fragrant with spice, plump and slightly soft, yet not cakey. They are finished with a light, sugary icing that is reminiscent of doughnut glaze.

Baker Howard Ward was not willing to part with his original recipe, but several fans of the Sherrill's version have told Baggett that hers is very close to the original. Adapted from her "The All-American Dessert Book" (Houghton Mifflin, 2005).

Pack the cookies flat, with waxed paper between the layers, in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 2 months.

For the cookies:

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1/3 cup corn oil or other flavorless vegetable oil

Generous 1/2 cup clover honey

2/3 cup light (mild-flavored) molasses

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

3 1/3 cups flour