Gingerbread Teddy Bears

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp. pumpkin-pie spice
• 2 tubes refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1 pkg. confectioners' sugar
• 3 Tbsp. meringue powder
• 5-6 Tbsp. warm water
• concentrated food coloring
• decorating sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. At low speed, beat flour, molasses, ginger and spice into dough. Roll into 1/4" thickness. Freeze on baking sheets until firm, 30 minutes. Slide dough onto surface. Coat same baking sheets with cooking spray; refrigerate. Using 5" teddy bear shaped cutter, cut out 12 shapes from dough, rerolling scraps as necessary. Place 2" apart on cold baking sheets.

Bake 18 minutes or until lightly browned and edges are set. Cool 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. At low speed, beat sugar, meringue powder and 5 Tbsp. warm water until thick and glossy but pourable, 5 minutes, adding water, 1 tsp. at a time, if necessary to thin. Transfer to separate pastry bags fitted with writing tips. Pipe icings onto cookies; sprinkle with sugar. Let stand 1 hour.

By Robin from Washington, IA