Ginger Crisps

Ginger Crisps

Serves 7 - 9 dozen cookies - depending on size
Inspiration Chatelaine Golden Anniversary

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Cups shortening (eg Crisco)
  • 2 Cups brown sugar
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 4 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Tsp salt
  • 4 Tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tsp ground cloves
  • 2 Tsp ground ginger
  • 2 Tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

With an electric mixer cream shortening and sugar; add the eggs, one at a time and beat well.
A little tip to make the molasses easily slide out of the measuring cup. Put about a quarter of a cup of vegetable oil in the measuring cup...swirl it around and then pour it back into the container. Then measure the molasses in that same measuring cup. Now add the molasses to the butter/shortening/egg mixture. All of the molasses will easily come out of the measuring cup as it slips along the residue of oil left in the cup. Beat the molasses into the mixture.
Ginger Crisps - batter
Measure the flour in a separate bowl. Add the salt, baking soda, cloves, ginger and cinnamon to the bowl and stir with a fork to mix. Add the flour mixture gradually to the molasses mixture, stirring with a large spoon. Mix until the dough is easy to handle.
Ginger Crisps - flour and spices
Flour your rolling pin and counter. Take a portion of dough out of the bowl and dust it with flour. Roll to about 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. If the dough is too sticky add some flour to it and roll it again.
Ginger Crisps - roll the dough
You can decorate the shapes with coloured sugar crystals.
Ginger Crisps - decorate
Bake on un-greased cookie sheets 8 - 10 minutes at 375 °F (350 °F for a convection oven) until the cookies have puffed and then contracted, but are not yet browned at the edges. Remove immediately to a large piece of parchment paper to cool.
Ginger Crisps - remove to cool
Take the scraps and roll them again, until there is little dough left. Then take a new portion of dough from the bowl and repeat until all the dough has been used.
Ginger Crisps