Gingerbread - 'the official cookie of the season'

I've been tinkering around with recipes for Gingerbread Cookies for over 30 years and this one is a 'keeper'.   Soft, chewy cookies with a Christmasy mix of spices.

Gingerbread Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup molassess
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine the sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Add melted butter, evaporated milk, molasses and vanilla extract (if desired). Stir until well combined. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition to prevent lumps. The dough should be very smooth and stiff enough to handle without sticking to your fingers. If necessary, add up to 1/2 cup additional flour to prevent sticking (I like to knead in some extra flour during rolling and cutting), and chill dough before using.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with novelty cookie cutters or a round biscuit cutter. It may be necessary to re-flour your surface several times to prevent dough from becoming sticky.

Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes (I like my gingerbread soft so I always underbake - and there are no eggs here to worry about!). For small cookies like those shown in the picture, reduce baking time to 6-7 minutes. The cookies are done if they spring back when touched (but before the edges begin to brown!). Remove cookies immediately from baking sheet and cool on a clean countertop.

A few notes: This recipe makes a LOT of cookies - especially if you make them small. It can also be used to make crispy, gingersnap-like treats. Just increase baking time and remove cookies once the edges have just begun to brown (great for dunking into your coffee or a glass of cold milk)