GINGERBREAD TEDDY BEARS

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This gingerbread recipe is not technically gingerbread because it contains no ginger, but it is delicious nevertheless. I have reduced the amount drastically of baking powder called for in the original recipe because there was always a trace of a metallic flavor in the original. Besides making gingerbread men and women, years ago, I began making gingerbread teddy bears. I even made gingerbread red heifers for a Bible-study group. Eventually, when craft stores began to carry markers made with food coloring, we graduated to cookies frosted with thinned royal icing, the better to use them like coloring books. Little fingers are much more nimble at placing tiny decorative candies into the small dabs of royal icing "glue." Depending on how thin and crispy you want your cookies to be, this recipe makes dozens of cookies.

Gingerbread Teddy Bears

• 3/4 cup honey
• 1-3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon peel
• 6 cups all-purpose flour (Ceresota or Heckers)
• 2 Tbsp. double-acting baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Food-color markers and candy decors for decorating
• Food coloring if desired

1. In a heavy 4- to 5-quart saucepan, bring the honey, sugar and butter to a boil over high heat, stirring with a large spoon until the sugar is dissolved and the butter melted. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the lemon juice and peel. Cool to room temperature.

2. Meanwhile, sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and salt together into a large mixing bowl. 

3. Beat in 2 cups of the flour and spice mixture. Mix in the egg and egg yolk. Then, beat in the remaining 4 cups of the flour and spice mixture. This will make a very thick, crumbly and sticky dough. Flour your hands lightly and knead until the dough is smooth, pliable and still slightly sticky. Do not refrigerate.

4. Roll out to desired uniform thickness on well-floured pastry cloth with a stockinette-covered rolling pin. Cut out desired shapes as closely together as possible to avoid re-rolling as much as possible and place on non-stick coated cookie sheets. 

5. Bake in preheated 325°F oven, about 7-8 minutes for convection and 10-12 minutes for standard.

6. When cool, use a pastry bag with a #2 or #3 plain tip to decorate with lines of royal icing. 

7. Allow to dry for a few hours if you intend to frost cookies completely. Thin some royal icing to desired consistency for frosting with a few drops of water at a time until a ribbon of the icing dripped over the top melts and disappears into the icing at the end of ten seconds. If you accidentally thin it too much, you can thicken it with a few spoonfuls of confectioner's (powdered) sugar. The right consistency is absolutely essential to avoid frustration, so take your time and get it just right before loading the decorating bag. Add food coloring as desired. 

8. The thinned icing can be loaded into a disposable plastic decorating bag without any couplers or metal tips. Just be sure to snip a very tiny hole in the bottom of the bag once loaded. Cookies, once frosted, should dry for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight before using food color markers. Attach tiny decors with small dabs of unthinned royal icing.

Royal Icing

This icing, which hardens rock solid, was once made with raw egg whites. Years ago, when salmonella became a problem, I switched to using Wilton meringue powder.

• 1 lb. confectioner's 10x (powdered) sugar
• 3 Tbsp. Wilton meringue powder
• 6-10 Tbsp. warm water

Beat at low speed of electric mixer for 7 to 10 minutes.
Makes approximately 3 cups.