1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. white or brown sugar
1/2 c. dark molasses
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
Add the sifted ingredients to the butter mixture i about 3 parts alternately with:
5 tbsp. or more water
You will have to work in the last of the flour mixture with your hands. If you want crude men roll a ball for a head, a larger ball for the body and cylinders for the arms and legs. stick them together on a greased pan to form a fat boy. If you want something looking less like primitive man, roll the dough to any thickness you like. A good way to do this is to grease the bottom of a baking sheet and to roll the dough directly onto it. Now cut out your figures either with a floured cookie cutter or make a pattern of your own in the following: Fold a square or stiff paper or light cardboard lengthwise and cut it out as desired. Unfold it and you have a symmetrical pattern. Grease one side of the pattern and place it on the rolled dough. Cut around the outlines with a sharp knife. Remove the scraps of dough between the figures. Use the scraps to make more men.
Decorate the figures before baking them with small raisins, bits of candied cherry, red hots, decorettes, citron, etc. indicating features, buttons, etc. After baking the men may receive further decorations as described below.
Bake the cookies in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for about 8 minutes or according to their thickness. Test them with a toothpick. Remove them at once from the pans. Let them cool.
Stir in a small bowl to make a paste: 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and a few drops of water. You may add a drop or two of coloring. Apply the icing with a toothpick or small knife to make additional garnishes such as caps, hair, mustaches, belts, shoes, etc. Children love to make these.
