Holiday recipe: The ultimate gingerbread cut-out cookies

“What is a holiday cookie plate without some decorated gingerbread cookies?” writes Dan Langan, introducing his recipe for gingerbread cut-out cookies in his new cookbook, “Bake Your Heart Out: Foolproof Recipes to Level Up Your Home Baking” (Union Square & Co., $29.99). Langan is a baker, blogger and host of the Food Network show, “Dan Can Bake It.”

This recipe produces dough that handles well. It’s ready to roll and cut in a single hour, and bakes up chewy or crisp, depending on your preference and baking time.