(post, Cara Montgomery)
3/4 cup butter 3/4 cup shortening (Crisco) 2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup molasses 4 cups flour 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. cloves 2 tsp.ginger Cream butter and shortening. Gradually add the 2 cups of sugar and molasses very thoughly.Beat in eggs. Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture, beating well. Batter will be soft. Make balls of small gob of dough and roll in sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Let stand 1 minute then remove to wire rack to cool. Makes about 95-100. do not try to make in very warm weather. Good Luck. They freeze well. This is exactly as Mrs. Madigan wrote the recipe for me some 29 years ago. Like so many ladies of her era, she remembered the family farm and cooked, gardened, canned and baked, as a normal part of her long life, as did my Grandmother Bess Montgomery, whose cookies tasted very much like Mrs. Madigan's. I love my continuing connection to their traditions.