Cookies On A Stick

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup water
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
Glaze, decorations, royal icing or buttercream icing - for glaze you warm up corn sryup and brush tops of cookies. The glaze stays sticky for about 1/2 hour to allow for corrections in decorating - like moving eyes over etc.

Cream softened butter, then add sugar. Add molasses and water and mix well.
Mix in remaining ingredients.
For cookies on a stick, use 1/3 cup of cookie dough and shape it into a ball. Insert your popsicle stick in the middle of this ball, lie it on its side and press down with a glass until about 1/4 inch thick.
For roll-out cookies, roll out to about 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured board or counter top - dusting your rolling pin lightly with flour also. Cut circles or gingerbreadmen out with lightly floured cookie cutter. Make a hole about 1/2 inch from the top edge - using a drinking straw. This hole will later allow you to tie ribbon through it.
Bake about 8-10 minutes , 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets at 350F. Thicker cookies may take a bit longer. Let cool for 5 minutes or so and remove to rack to cool. When removing cookies on a stick, slide your spatula under the stick and the cookie to ensure you don't break the sitck off while the cookie is not completely set. Makes about 2 dozen men and circles. I usually double the recipe. I glaze for gingerbread men and don't glaze for cookies on a stick. Glazed cookies can be also iced with royal icing.