Mom's Awesome Gingersnaps

3/4 c. shortening
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
2 1/4 c. flour (2 c. for less fat cookie)
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
granulated sugar

Mix thoroughly: shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses. Blend remaining ingredients except for granulated sugar. Cover and chill for one hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Dip tops in granulated sugar. Place balls sugar side up 3-inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake ten to twelve minutes or just until set. Immediately remove from baking sheet.

Notes: I think these are my all-time favorite Christmas cookies. I only used 2 cups of flour and I didn't refrigerate them like the instructions say, and to get a flatter, softer cookie, once I had shaped balls of dough on the cookie sheet I flattened them somewhat with the sugared bottom of a regular kitchen glass. Ten minutes was the maximum I let them stay in the oven and they turned out perfectly.