1/2 cup hot water
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup dark molasses
2 eggs
5 1/2 cups flour
 

Recipe from the story book "Jason's Bears" 
By Dane Bauer
 

Stir the baking soda, the salt, and all the spices into the hot water.  Set your spice mixture aside and mix the sugar and shortening together until they are smooth.  Then, stir the spice mixture, the molasses, the eggs and the flour into your sugar and shortening mixture.  If necessary, you may add up to half cup more flour to make a stiff dough for rolling.  Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  Once the dough is chilled, roll it on a floured surface and cut out bears.

You can use red hots for claws, licorice bits for noses, raisins for ears, currants for eyes.  Perhaps you will think of other decorating ideas.  Sprinkle the cookies lightly with sugar and bake on a greased pan (or a nonstick one) at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 min.  Put the hot cookies on a rack and, once they are cool, nibble the toes chew the ears, and bite the noses.  Then gobble your bears down and discover how fierce you feel.