Gingerbread Bears
recipe by Lucy Rigg

Mix together in a large bowl:
1/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups molasses
1/2 cup cold water

Sift together in another bowl:
7 cups flour
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon

Gradually add flour mixture to molasses mixture.

Dissolve 2 tsp of baking soda in 2 tsp cold water and stir into mixture.

Chill dough in refrigerator.  

Roll Dough out onto floured board until it is about 1/2 inch thick.

Press cookie cutters into dough to make shapes.

Bake gingerbread bears on greased cookie sheet for 15-18 minutes in 350 oven.  

Do not overbake!  The cookies will not darken very much, if at all.

(Optional) Let cookies cool and decorate with icing.