Protein Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Dough:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Carrington Farms Brewers Barley Flour
• 4 scoops simply tera’s lactose free organic plain unsweetened whey protein powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 10 tbsp Carrington Farms Organic Coconut Oil, solid and at room temperature
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2/3 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cookie Icing:

• 3 cups Powdered Sugar 
• 4-5 tbsp water, at room temperature
• 1 scoop simply tera’s lactose free organic plain unsweetened whey protein powder

Directions:

1. In a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients then set aside.
2. In another large mixing bowl, beat together the solid, at room temperature Carrington Farms Organic Virgin Coconut Oil and light brown sugar until creamy. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides to make sure everything is incorporated. Next, add the remaining wet ingredients, mixing well and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl every time an ingredient is added.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix once more just until all of the dry bits have been absorbed.
4. Dump the cookie dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, roughly shape into a rectangle, wrap up tightly and refrigerate to chill for at least 3 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat
6. Generously flour a clean work surface with all-purpose flour then unwrap and add the chilled cookie dough. Lightly flour your hands and rolling pin. Gently roll and press the dough until about 1/4 inch in thickness. Lightly flour the gingerbread man cookie cutter then press to cut the dough into shapes. Using an off-set spatula gently pick up the cookies and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet leaving at least 1 inch of space in between each cookie.
7. Bake at 350°F for 9-10 minutes then allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely. 
8. While the cookies are cooling, make the cookie icing. Sift the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl then add the simply tera’s lactose free organic plain unsweetened whey protein powder. Add 4 Tablespoons of water and mix until all of the dry bits have been absorbed. Add another Tablespoon of water, if needed though the icing should be thick for easy decorating.
9. Pour the icing into a zip-lock bag, squeeze bottle or piping bag with the smallest piping tip and decorate the gingerbread cookies.
10.  Store the cookies in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days.