Molasses Spice Cookies

Oh, the Christmas baking has begun! I finally got smart this year and started early. In the past, I always waited until the last minute because I had no idea you could freeze most cookies. Duh! But now that I've got a clue, these were the first cookies I started with. I've never made them before because spicy cookies never really interested me. But after tasting these, I can't figure out why I never tried them! They are so delicious! Crunchy on the outside, chewy inside and the sugar on top make for one heck of a tasty cookie. I've seen so many versions of this cookie, but this one is the simplest.

Molasses Spice Cookies

3/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup of sugar plus 2 tablespoons

4 tablespoons dark molasses

1 egg

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cloves

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. ginger

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, beat shortening, egg, 1 cup sugar, and molasses just until blended. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Add slowly to wet mix until blended. Place remainder of sugar in small bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in sugar (you can roll completely in sugar, if you want). Place on lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until brown on bottom and cracked on top.

"Slow as molasses in January."
-Proverbs

"I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month."

-Harlan Miller