Old-Fashioned Chewy Double Ginger Cookies

    1/2 c  Shortening
      1 c  Sugar
      2 lg Eggs
      1 c  Molasses
  3 1/2 c  All-purpose flour
      1 tb Ground ginger
  1 1/4 ts Baking soda
      1 ts Ground cloves
    1/2 ts Ground cinnamon
    1/2 c  Fine-chopped crystallized
           -ginger
           Sugar

In large bowl, cream together shortening and one cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time; beat in molasses. Stir together flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cloves and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture in three parts. Mix in crystallized ginger until smooth. Remove dough from bowl and wrap in floured wax paper; refrigerate overnight. (Dough will be quite soft.) With lightly floured hands, form dough into 1" (2.5 cm) balls; gently roll in sugar. Place about 2" (5 cm) apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350F (180C) for 10 - 12 minutes or just until set. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 6 dozen. I'm not much of a cookie baker because it seems so much effort for something that is gobbled down so quickly, but these are worth the trouble.


Yield: 72 Servings