Submitted by Happy13
Ingredients
| ½ c. shortening | 6 tsp water | |
| ½ c. sugar | ½ c. unsulphered molasses | |
| 1 egg yolk | 2 c. flour | |
| 1 tsp ginger | 1 tsp cinnamon | |
| 1 tsp cloves (scant) | 1 tsp finely ground black pepper | |
| ½ tsp nutmeg | ½ tsp baking powder | |
| ½ tsp baking soda | ½ tsp salt | |
| 2 dashes cayenne pepper |
Directions
- Cream the shortening, water & sugar together until light & fluffy. Add the molasses & egg yolk & mix until well blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. If using a stand mixer, use stir. The dough will be sticky.
- DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR REGARDLESS OF HOW TEMPTED YOU MAY BE!!! Too much flour will make the cookies tough. Form into 2 flat disks & put in the freezer for at least an hour or more.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- When the dough is cold enough to handle, roll it to about ¼” thick between 2 pieces of wax paper (the wax paper keeps you from having to use more flour). I roll mine a little thinner because I like a little crispness on the edges.
- Gently press together the scraps into another disk & put back in the freezer until ready for use. Bake for 8-10 minutes on parchment lined cookie sheets. Cool on pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating.
Chef’s Note: I use shortening instead of butter or margarine because shortening is flavorless and doesn’t impact the spices. I think butter is best served in sugar cookies. If you decide to substitute butter or margarine for the shortening, omit the water from the recipe.