Molasses Crinkles (cookies)

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger (we used 1 full teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon dried chipotle powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup grandma's molasses (not black strap or barbados molasses !!)
• granulated sugar, for sugaring tops cookie

Recipe

• 1 whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, pepper, and salt in a bowl until combined. set aside.
• 2 beat together shortening, butter, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with a paddle attachment) or 6 minutes with a handheld mixer.
• 3 add egg and molasses, beating until combined.
• 4 reduce speed to low, then mix in flour mixture (1 cup at a time, scrape down) until combined.
• 5 put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees f.
• 6 roll 1 heaping teaspoon of dough into a 1-inch ball with wet hands, then dip 1 end of the the ball in granulated sugar.
• 7 make more cookies in the same manner, arranging them, sugar side up, 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased baking sheets.
• 8 bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until undersides are golden brown, 10 - 12 minutes total.
• 9 cool cookies on sheets 1 minute, then remove from baking sheets and transfer to racks to cool completely.