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Ginger Bears

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Cute little Gingerbread Polar Bears that are sure to delight during the holidays. Lots of great tips for making gingerbread dough cooperate with your baking plans!

Ginger Bears | Cravings of a Lunatic | Cute little gingerbread polar bears. Cute and festive!

Welcome to Day #3 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen from Juanita’s Cocina! Each day we will be celebrating the holidays with a different set of Christmas-themed treats, as well as a fabulous Christmas giveaway. We hope you enjoy this fabulous event. Tune in each day starting today, Monday, December 9th and ending Saturday, December 14th.

I have to admit I have a weakness for cute food. I think my regular readers would agree with this statement. I cannot help myself. The cuter the better, especially around the holidays. These little bear cookies just make me happy. They are so adorable.

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When we drove my son out west for school in the summer of 2012 we did some shopping in Banff, Alberta. I found some of the cutest cookie cutters I’ve ever seen. One of those cookie cutters was a bear. I mean how cute is that. Being Canadian I have lots of memories of travelling our great country and seeing lots of bears. Unfortunately I’ve never seen a polar bear on those travels but I’ve seen my share of black and brown bears.

Once when I was younger we were travelling through the Rocky Mountains. My dad took the boys to get gas but first he dropped myself and my mom off at this little stand that sold drinks and food. It looked sort of like the food thing at a skating/hockey rink. We were standing there ordering coffees when the lady behind the stand gasped and slammed down the front of the stand. My Mom and me stood there shocked. We looked around and there was a bear standing behind us. My Mom was freaking out and trying to get my Dad’s attention so he could pull the car up to save us. In the meantime I was trying to pet the bear. No lie. I’m an animal lover and my young, naive instincts took over so I reached out to pet the bear. Luckily we were not killed. Happy ending, my dad came up and threw food to distract it. We got in the car and my Mom tried to calm down. I was still sitting there wondering why everyone was so upset I wanted to pet the bear.

Yup, I was one naive young hooligan.  Every time I see a bear on our travels I always think of this story from my childhood. It’s one of many. One day I should tell you about the time I put on Bionic Woman running shoes and almost went through the front window. Or perhaps the time I thought I could breathe through my ears. Not even kidding. I provided my folks with lots of giggles, and bear petting terror when I was little.

Ginger Bears | Cravings of a Lunatic | Cute little gingerbread polar bears. Cute and festive!

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Ginger Bears #ChristmasWeek
Cute little Gingerbread Polar Bears that are sure to delight during the holidays. Lots of great tips for making gingerbread dough cooperate with your baking plans!
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup molasses
For the Royal Icing:
  • 1 pound confectioners' sugar
  • 5 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 1/4 cup water
Instructions
For the Cookies:
  1. Sift your flour, baking soda, and baking powder over a large bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, mix your brown sugar and butter. You want to mix it on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy.
  3. Now mix in the spices and salt. After that add the eggs and the molasses. Turn the speed down to low.
  4. Slowly add the flour mixture; mix slowly until it's barely combined. Divide the dough into 3 pieces and wrap each one separately in plastic wrap, or pop in a container.
  5. Stick in the fridge until it's cold, at least for an hour, preferably overnight.
  6. When you're ready to make the cookies preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  7. Now you can roll out your dough on a lightly floured work surface. You want the dough to be about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your bears, and pop them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Stick the sheets in the fridge for about 30 minutes, or freezer for about 15 minutes.
  8. Pop them in the oven and bake for about 10 to 14 minutes.
  9. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes, transfer to wire racks and allow to cool completely.
For the Royal Icing:
  1. In a stand mixer combine your sugar, meringue powder and water, use a paddle attachment and mix on low. You want the mixture to be smooth, which should take about 7 to 9 minutes.
  2. You can adjust the icing if needed. If it's too thick add more water, if it's too thin add more confectoners' sugar.
  3. Transfer to a piping bag if desired. I just smoothed on with an offset spatula.
  4. Sprinkle with fancy sugars or sprinkles.
  5. Serve with a big old don't feed (or pet) the bears smile!
Recipe Notes

Cookie Recipe adapted slightly from Martha Stewart's Gingerbread Snowflakes

Royal Icing Recipe credit to Martha Stewart's Royal Icing

Ginger Bears | Cravings of a Lunatic | Cute little gingerbread polar bears. Cute and festive!

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Freund Giveaway for #ChristmasWeek | Stop by cravingsofalunatic.com to enter!

Giveaway Closed!

Today’s #ChristmasWeek giveaway comes courtesy of Freund Container & Supply. Freund Container & Supply has been helping build businesses since 1938 as the largest distributor of glass bottles, containers, and wholesale packaging supplies online. Freund offers over 5,000 items in stock every day, 98% same day shipping, and low-price guarantees. Take a look at Freund’s wide selection of jars, tins, bottles and vials for all your crafting and food related needs! To enter to win one of FIVE different Freund gift certificates, read the details and use the Rafflecopter below!

***This giveaway is for five (individually awarded) $100 gift certificates to Freund Container & Supply. Gift certificate is a one-time use certificate and must be used in its entirety; any leftover monies on the gift certificate will be forfeited. This giveaway is open to both US and Canadian residents. However, it should be noted that due to current International shipping rates, any Canadian winners will pay higher shipping costs for orders. ***

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***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Freund Container & Supply. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not received product or been compensated as a part of this giveaway.***

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Comments

  2. Tara says

    December 11, 2013 at 9:07 AM

    Love your cute ginger bears!! I had a bear encounter when I was young too!! It was a mom and two cubs, scary situation but it ended just fine with all going their merry way!!

    Reply

    • Kim Beaulieu says

      December 14, 2013 at 2:17 AM

      Thanks Tara.

      It’s scary right. As kids we have no idea. My dad loved to camp so we experienced a ton of nature growing up. I still love it.

      Reply

    • Kim Beaulieu says

      December 14, 2013 at 2:19 AM

      Ha, thanks. My dad was so freaked out, my mom was in shock. I just wanted to cuddle a bear.

      Thanks. I’m not great at cookie decorating but I try every year. I don’t think I have the patience for detailed cookies, lol.

      Reply

    • Kim Beaulieu says

      December 14, 2013 at 2:20 AM

      Awe, thanks Helene. I love Christmas. It was my mom’s fave time of the year so I think I just get way too into the spirit of the holidays.

      Reply

  8. Stacy says

    December 11, 2013 at 12:14 PM

    Cute food is the best! I mean as long as its delicious, like these bears, it might as well be cute too. I can just imagine you trying to pet that bear while the rest of the family freaks out! Great story!

    Reply

    • Kim Beaulieu says

      December 14, 2013 at 2:26 AM

      It really is. I had fun with these. I’m not a decorator but I try every year.

      So funny. Every time I luck out and see one again I always think of that lady slamming down the window on us. Who does that?

      Reply

    • Kim Beaulieu says

      December 14, 2013 at 2:29 AM

      Bah ha ha ha. I am crying I’m laughing so hard.

      They don’t. It chuffs me off. We should never leave any animal out during the holidays. I mean polar bears could surely pull a sleigh.

      I am. I hope you are too. We need to catch up after the holidays. I can’t wait for my son to arrive. I’ll be taking about 10 days off, well, as much as bloggers can take time off. lol

      Reply

    • Kim Beaulieu says

      December 14, 2013 at 2:30 AM

      Thanks Liz. I love ginger, it’s so funny our horse is Ginger too. Kind of cool really. K’s bird is Tarragon as well. We call her Terror, she’s really bad. Lol.

      Reply

  16. Pam says

    December 11, 2013 at 6:59 PM

    Oh no! Sorry you didn’t get to pet the bear, but glad you guys made it out just fine. What a fun story! These cookies look pretty delicious, too 😉

    Reply

  17. Isabel says

    December 11, 2013 at 7:03 PM

    I love your ginger bears! I would probably get some equally cute glass jars with the gift card. Cute food products are so much better than their noncute counterparts

    Reply

  23. Rusty H says

    December 12, 2013 at 10:03 AM

    Oooooo, so many things from which to choose..!! I really like those plastic gripper containers AND the tin-plated steel cans AND the Mason jars AND……

    Reply

  29. Carla says

    December 14, 2013 at 6:01 PM

    Over the summer in Tennessee, I got pictures of mama bear and her cubs. Except mama kept walking closer to me, and I didn’t notice at first because when you have a camera, the zoom makes things closer than they appear. Kinda scary actually haha Love the polar bears. Mine would just be polar blobs.

    Reply

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