Gingerbread Snowman Faces

While the dough is great, the spice mixture isn't.  Pepper is far too dominant, needs balance.  I would like to try making these again with a better spice blend.  And I absolutely would NOT use royal icing again--it was brittle hard after just 2 days!  I'd take canned frosting over that any day.  (Note: I used the Food Network recipe for royal icing, not Family Circle's). 6/10.  Will re-rate and update when I try with different spice blend.

Link to original recipe: https://www.familycircle.com/recipe/gingerbread-snowmen/

Ingredients:

2 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses (NOT blackstrap)
frosting/icing (see note at beginning of post; royal icing was the recommendation in the original recipe)
candy corn and mini chocolate chips, for decorating

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, ginger, pepper, and cinnamon; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand (or electric) mixer, cream butter and sugar together.

3. Beat in egg and molasses.

4. Gradually mix in reserved dry ingredients mixture (you may wish to switch to dough hook or finish by hand).

5. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

6. Heat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment.

7. Divide dough in half and roll one of the halves out on a floured surface, to 1/8" thickness.

8. Cut 3"-3 1/2" circles with round cookie cutter (largest I had was 3", so that is what I used).  Transfer dough circles to prepared baking sheet.

9. Bake for 11 min. and transfer to wire rack to cool.

10. Once cookies have cooled, frost and decorate.  Enjoy!