Gingerbread Cookies with Buttercream Icing

I'm a big fan of gingerbread and ginger cookies. When C wanted to make gingerbread cookies (does George make some in the Christmas movie?) I obliged.

Gingerbread Cookies with Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, cloves and ginger
ICING:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon butter flavoring
3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Directions
In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. cookie cutter into desired shapes. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.
For icing, beat confectioners' sugar, butter, extracts and flavoring in a bowl. Gradually stir in enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Frost cookies. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

These were so good right out of the oven. They weren't quite as good cooled, possibly because I overfloured. They were workable without being chilled, so the instant gratification was worth the slight floury taste. And if I had made the icing, it would probably would have helped that anyway. I'll admit that we ate all but one cookie the same day I made them. I probably wouldn't use the icing recipe anyway because I don't have butter flavoring or lemon extract.