For Cookies

1. In a bowl take butter and beat until it’s creamy, next add brown sugar and molasses and beat on medium-high speed until creamy.

2. Add egg and vanilla extract, beat at high speed for 2 minutes.

3. Sift and add flour, salt, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves into the mixture and mix all together to form the dough.

4. Divide the dough into half, roll them into a disc shape, and wrap them tightly in a plastic wrap.

5. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 F or 175 C.

7. Remove 1 disc of chilled dough and roll out the disc until ¼ inch thick, with the help of two circular (medium and small) cookie cutters, cut into shapes and join the two circles to form a snowman figure.

8. Bake the cookies for about 9-10 minutes for soft cookies (to make it little bit crisp bake for few more minutes)

9. Allow the cookies to cool completely.

10. After cooling, decorate as desired.

Preparing the Royal Icing

1. In a bowl take powdered sugar, meringue powder, and vanilla extract and beat for 2-3 minutes adding water gradually (1 teaspoon at a time)

2. Beat until stiff peaks are formed.

3. Divide the icing into different bowls.

4. Reserve more than half of the uncolored-icing to make the base of the cookies.

5. Add a few drops of desired food colors in the remaining icing. (Red and Black/Blue)

6. Fill all Icing into individual piping bags for decorating.

Instructions to Decorate

1. First, flood the snowman using a round icing tip with white icing.

2. Allow the icing to set at room temperature. (You can speed up the process by keep cookies in the refrigerator)

3. Using a smaller round icing tip (#1) pipe the red scarf and nose, and then the buttons and eyes. (You can use the back of the toothpick as well If it’s difficult for you to make the buttons and eyes with the piping bag)

4. Allow the icing to set at room temperature.