Pepperidge Farm Gingerman Copycats, Revised - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour (although if you want to make cookie cutter shapes, have an extra cup on hand)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
red sugar crystals (optional) or powdered sugar, to decorate. (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cream together sugars, shortening, molasses, eggs, and vanilla & beat with a mixer until smooth & uniform.
Add remaining dry ingredients (except decoration items), scraping the bowl as you go.
If you choose to make round drop cookies, use the batter as is and scoop out with a TBSP cookie scoop onto greased pan, about 2-3 inches apart.
If you want to make cookie cutter shapes, add extra flour to the bowl 1/4 cup at a time until dough is stiff and clears the side of the bowl. Roll out on a heavily floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Roll out to approximately 1/4 inch thick & cut with the cutters. Then place onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 15-18 minutes. (These bake best with only one or two sheets in at a time. If you are making a lot, use two \"shifts\" of two cookies sheets.).
Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. This will prevent the bottom of your cookies from sinking through the spaces in the rack.
Sprinkle with decorative sugar while still slightly warm.