This dough is a little sticky.  Add additional flour if you have trouble working with it.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2-cup molasses
1/2-cup margarine - softened
1/4-cup hot water

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add molasses, margarine and hot water.  
Mix with electric mixer until smooth.  Refrigerate 2 hours.

Cut dough into thirds and work with one third while keeping the rest of the dough 
chilled.  Roll to 1/4” thickness on floured board.  Cut with cookie cutters. 

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for to 9 minutes at 375 degrees.  
Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet before moving to rack to finish cooling.

Hint:  Rather than wait for your cookie dough to chill, take the freshly made 
dough and place a glob between two sheets of parchment paper.  Roll it out to 
the desired thickness then place the dough and paper on a cookie sheet and pop
 it into the refrigerator.  Continue rolling out your dough between sheets of paper 
until you have used it all.  By the time you are finished, the first batch will be 
completely chilled and ready to cut.  Reroll leftover dough and repeat the process!  
An added bonus is that you are not adding any additional flour to your cookies.