GINGERSNAPS

3/4 cup vegetable shortening*

1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 large egg
1/3 cup molasses
2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 to 2 tsp ground ginger (depending on your taste)
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Coating:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets (or cover with parchment paper).

In a large mixing bowl beat the shortening, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Beat in the egg then the molasses. Add in the flour, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon; beat to form a smooth fairly stiff dough.

Make the coating by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.

Round dough into 1-inch balls (a 1 teaspoon cookie scoop works perfect for this) and drop into the coating. Roll the balls to coat then place 1 1/2-inches apart on the cookie sheets.

Bake cookies at 375 for 11 minutes for cookies that have crisp edges and softer centers. Bake cookies 13 minutes for cookies that are crisp all over.

Remove cookies from oven and cool on pans on wire racks. When completely cooled they may be lightly wrapped and kept at room temperature.

Yield: Approximately 5 dozen cookies.

*Substituting butter will creat soft cookies not crisp ones.

Note: This recipe is basically a King Arthur Flour recipe and the picture is theirs, too.