These have a lot going for them.  My notation is that I got this from my mom in 1976.  It is from a Br'er Rabbit brand bottle of molasses.  Back then, there were probably more recipes that used vegetable shortening than used butter.  Butter was expensive, shortening less so.  Crisco wasn't a bad word.  Butter was for "special," shortening is what you used for "regular" baking.  Gingersnaps don't fall into the "special" lot.  Gingersnaps are for after school with a glass of milk, or maybe a little somethin' somethin' to dunk into a mid-morning cup of coffee.

Rob loves these and I am just learning that our son-in-law Jamie is fond of them, too.  When I posted something on Facebook about my Christmas baking, he posted a hint for gingersnaps. I'm happy that Jamie mentioned them because they had slipped my mind—after all, they aren't "special" or fancy.  Just delicious.  Pleasing two of the three guys in my life is a pretty good average.  (And I'm guessing Chris would probably like them, too.)

Molasses Sugar Cookies

Source: Mom - from a Br'er Rabbit Molasses bottle, 8-24-1976

Serving Size: 4 dozen?

3/4 cup Crisco vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 teaspoons soda

2 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

(1 tablespoon freshly grated gingerroot — my own inclusion)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Melt shortening in quart saucepan; cool slightly.  Add sugar, molasses and egg; beat well.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Add and stir.  Chill dough.  Make into 1” balls.  Roll in sugar and bake at 375° 8-10 minutes.  Makes about 4 dozen.

Notes:Half-tablespoon measure yielded 5 dozen 1/18/80.

I like this recipe because it does not require a mixer to make the dough.  I have a broad collection of sturdy wood spoons and they are a handy tool for these cookies.  I have no idea how these would bake up if they were made with butter and I have not researched recipes that use butter instead of shortening.

I pulled up the recipe on my iPad in MacGourmet and set to work.  Melting the (butter flavor) Crisco is the first step and I do it in a great Farberware 4-quart saucepan.

The dry ingredients are sifted together and stirred into the wet mix.

Chill the dough for several hours (mine was in the fridge for about 6 hours) and form into 1-inch balls.  Roll them in sugar and put them a couple inches apart on a baking sheet.  I don’t grease the sheets and I use my AirBake insulated sheets.  I’ve had them for years and years and wouldn’t be without them.

Bake for 8-10 minutes in a 375° oven; remove from the baking sheet to a wire rack for complete cooling.

Coffee?  Thanks – I don’t mind if I do.