This is the single batch but I always double it. You can also roll all or half of the dough into a log about 1/5" in diameter, wrap in wax paper and squirrel it away in the freezer for later, just cut 1/4" slices, pat in sugar and bake like below. The original recipe comes from The Fanny Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham
¾ Cups (butter flavor) vegetable shortening
1 Cup sugar (plus extra to roll the cookies in)
1 egg
¼ Cup molasses (dark for the hard-core, light for a slightly mellower flavor)
2 Cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ tsp salt (I've been using the coarse Kosher salt in everything lately and loving it)
1 tablespoon powdered ginger (Chinese i.e. strong)
1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line some cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Beat together the shortening and 1 Cup of the sugar. Add the egg, and beat until light and fluffy, then add the molasses.
Stir and toss together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon and add to the first mixture beating until smooth and blended.
Scoop out level tablespoons and roll them into balls between the palms of your hands then roll each ball in the sugar. Place about 2” apart on your cookie sheets and flatten them just a bit with two fingers. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cookies have spread and the tops have cracked. Take them off the sheets to cool them on a rack.
Makes about 40 cookies














