Finnish Gingerbread Men (Pepparkakor)

We used this recipe to make gingerbread cookies. They were quite tasty and the boys really loved them. They had a nice spicy flavor to them. I was out of nutmeg though so I subbed ground allspice for the nutmeg. My husband thought they were missing something though.

2/3 cup butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon each ground cardamom, ground coriander seed and ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 to 1/3 cup water

Cream butter and brown sugar together in a medium bowl, beating until fluffy. Add spices; beat well.

Add baking soda, salt, flour, cider vinegar, and just enough water to make a smooth pilable dough. Roll into a ball. Chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Press ball into a disk and roll out on a lightly floured board to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes; transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet, placing cookies about 1/2 to 3/4 inch apart. Chill dough in between batches.

Bake 7 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks. Decorate.