• This recipe can be made using a stand mixer or mixed by hand. I find using a stand mixer the easiest way, but either way works.

  Mix together butter, sugar, egg, molasses, sourdough discard and vanilla until thick and creamy. The mixture will be quite glossy. I use the whisk attachment for this part.
• Next, add the flour, salt, baking soda and spices and mix together to form a dough (I use the dough hook attachment, running the mixer at low speed for this part).

  This step can be difficult by hand but persevere with the sticky dough, it will come good. You should be able to roll it into a small ball without it sticking to your hands.
• Once the dough is ready, turn it out on to the counter. Cut it in half. Form each half into a disc and wrap each disc in parchment paper. Place both on top of each other and wrap together with plastic wrap.

  Place into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• When you are ready to make the gingerbread cookies, take the dough out of the fridge and allow it to sit for a few minutes at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 165ºC/330ºF.
• Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to around ¼" thick.
• Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter of your choice.
• Place the gingerbread shapes onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
• Bake at 165ºC/330ºF for 10-15 minutes. The gingerbread will still be soft. Allow it to cool for 30 minutes and it will become crunchy. YUM!

Royal Icing

• Add the egg whites to a clean, dry stand mixer bowl. Use the whisk attachment to whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. This can take some time, around 5 minutes if perfectly normal.
• Once you've got stiff peaks, add the vanilla paste and powdered sugar and continue to whisk until all the sugar is dissolved and you have a liquid consistency.
• Scoop the royal icing into a piping bag and use to pipe designs onto your gingerbread cookies. Allow the icing to set hard before you package the cookies.