Christmas Light Gingerbread Cookies

1. Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Beat in molasses. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture just until combined. Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, and wrap in plastic; chill at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one disk at a time, roll on a lightly floured work surface to 3/8-inch thick. Cut into light-bulb shapes using 2- and 3-inch light-bulb-shaped cutters. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Knead and reroll scraps up to 2 more times. Repeat with remaining dough disk.

3. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes for small cookies and 10 to 12 minutes for large cookies. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

4. Beat confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 1/3 cup water on medium speed until smooth and thickened, about 1 minute. Add additional water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, as necessary to reach desired consistency for piping.

5. Divide icing into 5 bowls. Tint 4 bowls to desired colors using blue, pink, red, and green food coloring. Leave remaining bowl white. Spoon half of each color into a piping bag fitted with a #2 open piping tip. Spoon one-fourth of remaining white icing into a piping bag fitted with a #1 piping tip.

6. Pipe a white border around “socket” of each cookie with white icing. Outline bulb of each cookie with desired icing color; let stand until dry, 15 minutes. Squeeze any remaining icing back into bowls and thin with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon water; return to piping bags. Fill bulbs of cookies with icing and let stand until dry, at least 1 hour. Arrange cookies on a platter in shape of a wreath.