Gingerbread teddy bears

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01
  
       Title: Gingerbread Teddy Bears
  Categories: Cookies
       Yield: 16 servings
  
       1 c  Butter (or margarine)
     2/3 c  Brown sugar
     2/3 c  Corn syrup and/or molasses
       4 c  Flour
   1 1/2 ts Cinnamon
       1 ts Ginger
     1/2 ts Ground cloves
     3/4 ts Baking soda
       1    Egg; lightly beaten
   1 1/2 ts Vanilla extract
  
   In a saucepan combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Cook and stir
   over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Pour into large mixing bowl; cool
   5 minutes. Sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda.
   Add egg and vanilla to butter mixture; mix well. Add flour mixture; beat
   til well mixed. Divide dough in half, cover and chill 2 hours or
   overnight.
   
   For each bear, shape dough into one 1-inch ball, one 3/4-inch ball, six
   1/2-inch balls and one 1/4-inch ball. On ungreased cookie sheet flatten
   the 1-inch ball to 1/2" thickness for body. Attach the 3/4-inch ball for
   head and flatten to 1/2" thickness. Attach the 1/2-inch balls for arms,
   legs and ears. Attach the 1/4-inch ball for nose. Bake at 350 degrees for
   8 to 10 minutes, cool and decorate.
   
   I usually make these smaller than described here; about 1/2 the size.
   Also, the ears start to look like MOUSE ears if they're not a little
   smaller than the arms and legs. Roll the nose ball to make it more oval in
   shape and place it on the LOWER half of the bear's face. These can be
   decorated with any icing-- I use tinted Royal icing made from meringue
   powder to add eyes, nose and bow tie to each bear.
   
   For Easter, make these into bunnies. Use only light corn syrup, no
   molasses. Substitute white sugar for the brown sugar. Omit spices and add
   a bit of almond extract if desired. Make them the same way, but make two
   long ears on the top and two cheek-balls instead of the nose-ball.
   Decorate with pastel icings.
   
   Shared by Karen Mintzias
  
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