Mix together flour and spices In a large mixing bowl. Combine water, molasses, sugar, butter, and baking soda in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil and stir constantly for 5 minutes.

Cool until room temperature. Add salt and egg to the molasses mixture and gradually stir in flour until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to make your cookies, preheat your oven to 375 F.

On a lightly floured surface roll out gingerbread cookie dough 1/2 cm thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shape* and place onto a cookie sheet. If you want to make these into ornaments simply poke a hole at the top of the ornament using a straw. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and transfer on to a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating (if desired). You can thread through a ribbon and loop it through to make it into an orament or to tie it around a napkin for the table setting.