Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread Men

• ½ inch fresh ginger
• 5 oz sugar
• 6 oz unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 4 oz molasses
• 2 oz maple syrup
• 3 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 18 oz all-purpose flour, plus extra to dust
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 large egg

Royal Icing

• 14 oz sugar, divided
• 1 egg white, from a large pasteurized egg
  or 3 tbsp liquid egg whites, pasteurized
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp hot water
• food coloring (e.g., red, green, silver, blue, gold)