These cookies have just the right balance of spice to give them just a little “zing” when you savour them. You can make the cookies using just shortening, but I find using just butter doesn’t work as well. The ratio that I have here seems best to me, but experiment if you like.

Yield:  3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp. ground ginger (1-1/2 tbsp if your ginger is not really fresh)
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• granulated sugar to coat cookies before baking

Preparation Procedures

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Cream together shortening and butter. When uniform, add sugar. Blend at medium speed (#7 on Kitchen Aid mixer) until creamy.
3. Blend in egg and molasses.
4. Mix flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a separate bowl and slowly mix in until just blended (#3 on mixer). You may have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Be careful that you do not over mix the dough.
5. Form teaspoon-sized pieces of dough into round balls.
6. Roll in granulated sugar to coat them.
7. Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes.