Ginger Puzzle Piece Cookies

Cookies
1 cup (250 mL) butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar
1 egg
1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500 mL) Five Roses® All Purpose Flour
½ tsp (2 mL) baking powder
2 tsp (10 mL) ground ginger
¾ tsp (4 mL) cinnamon
½ tsp (2 mL) ground cardamom
¼ tsp (1 mL) nutmeg
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
Icing and paint
2 cups (500 mL) icing sugar, sifted
¼ cup (50 mL) water
Assorted food colouring, coloured sugars, assorted small candies

1. Cookies: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until well combined. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add remaining dry ingredients and beat into butter mixture just until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 1 hour for easy rolling.
2. Preheat oven to 375º F (190º C). Line two 15” x 10” (40 cm x 25 cm) baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into 4 pieces (puzzle boards). Roll each piece to form a rectangle ¼” (5 mm) thick, about 5” x 7” (13 x 18 cm) each.
4. Transfer your puzzle boards to prepared baking sheets. Using cookie cutters, cut puzzle piece shapes into dough, allowing at least 1” (5 cm) between each shape. Cut through dough, but do not remove.
5. Bake 12 minutes or until edges start to lightly brown. Remove from oven and retrace shapes with knife. Return to oven 7-8 minutes. Cool on pan 10 minutes. Carefully remove puzzles to wire racks. Cool completely, 15 minutes.
6. Icing & paint: In a medium bowl, combine icing sugar with water. To make fancy colours, divide into small containers. Add a different food colouring to each bowl. Decorate shapes with coloured icings, sugars and small candies. Put the puzzle back together.

• To make gingerbread men or thinner cookies: Roll out dough to ⅛” thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place on prepared baking sheet. Gather up scraps and repeat with remaining dough. Bake 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned.