Instructions: 1. Into a bowl sift together flour, pepper, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. In a small bowl stir together molasses and coffee. In a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed beat together butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. With mixer at low speed beat in gingerroot. Beat in flour mixture alternately with molasses mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Divide dough into thirds. Form each third into a ball and flatten to form disks. Chill disks, wrapped separately in plastic wrap, at least 4 hours and up to 3 days.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Break off egg-size pieces from 1 disk (keep remaining 2 disks chilled) and with heel of hand smear each piece once in a forward motion. Gather pieces together and give dough a few smears to bring together. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 disks.

4. On a lightly floured work surface roll out one third of dough into a 22-by-8-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick), making sure dough is not stinking to surface (use a pastry scraper to lift dough; sprinkle surface with additional flour if sticking). With a 2-inch gingerbread man cutter or 3 1/2-inch candy cane cutter cut out shapes, transferring with a spatula to baking sheets and arranging about 1/2 inch apart.

5. Bake cookies in batches in lower third of oven 6 to 8 minutes, or until crisp (do not let cookies get too dark). With spatula transfer cookies to racks to cool. Make more cookies with scraps and remaining two thirds of dough in same manner. Cookies keep, in airtight containers at room temperature, 1 week.

Makes about 120 cookies.

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