All those who bake - take heed. I am looking for a recipe that seems to be impossible to find. I'd like a recipe for gingerbread cookies that has the following qualities:

-Very light-coloured when baked. Almost more like a sugar cookie in colour
-Light flavour - can have lots of ginger
-Little to no molasses - this is the flavour I don't like in gingerbread much
-Soft texture after baking, almost chewy
-Thick and don't spread

You see, the best gingerbread I've ever had in my life is in the form of gingerbread men from a little bakery in Kenora, Ontario. It's changed names a few times, but it's at the bottom of the hill on the street which houses the Knox United Church. The Music Festival was held here every year, and a treat between piano pieces was to go to the bakery for a snack. I have never been able to duplicate these cookies anywhere, ever. As a note to Angela, they have almost the same texture and colour as those wonderful nutmeg sugar cookies of yours when they're just barely cool out of the oven. Not crisp at all, just soft and chewy.

I'd be much obliged if anyone could give me any ideas for this!

I have also discovered I have a positive addiction to Genmaicha green tea, probably from having it at sushi restaurants. We have some at home, but I just can't make it taste the same as when I'm out. I'm trying to figure out a new way to steep it at home that will work better than just dumping the loose tea in my little pot and drinking around the leaves and rice :)