Gingerbread Cookies

that no one will eat.  Seriously.  No one in the house likes gingerbread cookies except Jon and I.  Every year I ask myself why I continue baking something that no one likes.  I guess it's just a tradition that I'm not going to break.  Plus, it makes my house smell like fall.

A full cookie jar.  

The recipe that I used this time pretty much sucked.  After I mixed everything up (last night--the dough has to chill, you know) I could tell that the dough was way too dry and crumbly.  After chilling overnight, it was more like a lump of cement.  So here I was, standing in my kitchen surrounded by littles asking me, "When can we make cookies?  When will it be ready?  Are you ready now?  How come you're not ready?"and me unable to provide appropriate cookie dough.  I added a cup or so of water, let it sit, (maybe prayed a little) and then kneaded the hell out of it before it was pliable enough to use.  My kitchen and I were now covered with flour, but we were finally on our way.