Take soft butter in a mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar to it and starting creaming. Cream well until the mixture is light and creamy.
Slowly add the honey and mix thoroughly.
Now sift together wheat flour, baking powder, black pepper powder, nutmeg powder, cinnamon powder, dry ginger powder.
Add the flour spice mixture to the butter honey mixture. Mix everything and make dough. Cling wrap or place the dough in zip lock pouch. Refrigerate for 3 hours. You may let it sit overnight too.
Remove the dough and divide into 2 equal parts. Roll part into circle of 1/4 thickness. Preheat oven at 180C.
Using a gingerbread man cookie cutter cut out shapes. Arrange the cut cookies in a baking tray.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Once done cool thoroughly.
To make the royal icing combine corn flour, icing sugar,lemon juice and milk. Mix well without any lumps. The icing should be thick yet flowing. Adjust milk or sugar quantity as required.
Decorate your cooled cookies with this icing as required. Once the icing is well set store gingerbread man cookies in airtight container and serve as required.
Notes
1. Make sure you bake till the edges are browned well. 2. These cookie are not melt in mouth type.