I tried Martha Stewart's 'basic' gingerbread-cookie recipe and I've never felt more festive

Gingerbread is one of my favorite flavors and scents around the holidays — RIP, Starbucks' gingerbread latte — but I realized this year that I haven't actually attempted to make gingerbread cookies since I was a kid with my mom.

So, with that memory in mind, I began making my own gingerbread cookies. I used this recipe, which Stewart calls "basic."

Here's everything I needed:

• 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup un-sulfured molasses

In terms of counter space, and just general space, my kitchen leaves a lot to be desired. I'd have to be economical about how much space I needed to prepare my ingredients properly.

Instead, I used a strainer, which worked well enough. It did, however, get a little messy.

When I went to Target, which was depleted of lots of items, there was only light brown sugar. I took to Google, to see if I could make my own dark brown sugar.

According to many sources, I could make my own by adding one tablespoon of molasses for every cup of sugar.

I used a fork to combine the two as best as I could. Once the color was visibly darker and the two were mixed, I called it a day.

I also don't have an electrical mixer, so I used a wooden spoon and a fork. Food52 confirmed I'd be able to cream the butter and sugar by hand, so I was relieved.

After softening the butter in the microwave, I mixed the butter and sugar until the butter was coated. Then I used the fork to whip them together until I achieved this creamy texture.

I added the eggs, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, and salt without any problems, but when I re-checked my spice cabinet to find that I only had whole cloves, not ground cloves, I knew I had to take matters into my own hands again.

This didn't work as well as I'd hoped, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. Into the mix they went.

My mouth was starting to water at how good everything smelled already.

At this point, I texted my mom to tell her that, if it wasn't too late, I'd willingly accept an electric mixer as one of my holiday gifts.

If you're going to use your hands, remember to coat them in flour so you don't get sticky.

I had to blast holiday music in my headphones while baking to keep myself in the spirit.

Again, before kneading, it's best to coat the surface you're working on with flour.

I had used so many bowls, spoons, whisks, and cutting boards that my sink was full. Every surface also had some amount of flour on it, which made for a fun hour of scrubbing dishes and wiping down surfaces.

Thankfully, my Target trip hadn't been a total waste, since the store did have rolling pins in stock.

The recipe recommends rolling the dough to be around 1/8-inch thick before cutting.

The shapes included were menorahs, Stars of David, and dreidels.

I was able to get at least 10 cookies in the first batch. The oven had to be heated to 350 degrees, and the recipe said to line the tray with parchment paper.

I left the cookies in there for 20 minutes, like the recipe said, but they came out too well-done on the first try. That poor menorah was burnt to a crisp.

This time I left them in for 17 minutes, and they were just right.

After letting the cookies cool completely, I used my trusty blue frosting and got to work attempting to ice them in an aesthetically pleasing way. A pastry chef, I am not.

In some bites, where the ground cloves weren't totally ground, their flavor was overwhelming. I also thought the cookies were a little too peppery for my taste, but those can both easily be rectified in the future.

Hopefully, the next time I attempt to bake a Martha Stewart recipe, I'll have an electric mixer and access to a kitchen with more counter space.