Gingerbread Bears

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: 1992 1st Place: Gingerbread Bears
Categories: Cookies, Holiday
Yield: 42 servings

3 1/2 c Unsifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 ts Ground ginger
1 1/2 ts Cinnamon
1 ts Baking soda
1 ts Ground cloves
1/4 ts Salt
1/2 c Butter, softened
3/4 c Sugar
1 Egg
3/4 c Light molasses
1 ts Grated lemon rind
Decorations as desired

Preparation time: 35 minutes Chilling time: 2 hours or overnight
Cooking time: 7 to 10 minutes

1. Measure 3 1/2 cups flour; sift together with spices, baking soda
and salt; set aside. Beat butter with an electric mixer in a large
bowl until smooth. Add sugar and mix on high speed until light and
fluffy, 2 minutes. Add egg and mix well. Stop the mixer and add
molasses and lemon rind. Mix on low speed to combine. Stir in dry
ingredients with a wooden spoon.

2. Divide dough into four parts. Wrap each one separately in plastic
wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.

4. Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator at a time. Roll
the well-chilled dough on a floured board or between sheets of waxed
paper to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters and
carefully transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving 1-inch between
each cookie.

5. Bake just until the cookies are lightly browned and set, 7 to 10
minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer from baking sheets to a wire rack
and cool completely before decorating. Decorate as desired. Store in
airtight containers.

Nancy Schubert of Schaumburg, Illinois took first place with these
chubby little bears. She uses colored sugar, little candies and a
classic royal icing to decorate the bears. Confectioners' sugar icing
or tubes of decorator icing can be also can be used. from the Chicago
Tribune fifth annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie Contest December 3,
1992

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