Mom'S Best Soft Gingerbread Cookies (New! Gb House Directions!) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter flavor shortening
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
1 cup molasses
1/3 cup hot water
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 cups flour
raisins

Preparation

Place cloves in hot water; set aside.
Cream shortening and sugar.
Add egg and beat.
Add molasses, beat.
Remove cloves from water, discard cloves.
Add clove water, beat. *Dough will look \"curdled\".
Add rest of ingredients, except the last 4 cups flour, and beat. Gradually beat in last 4 cups flour.
Chill dough.
Roll out to 1/2\" thick or slightly less.
Cut into shapes.
Decorate with raisins if desired.
Place carefully on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375\u00b0 for 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake.
*GB House directions:
Make dough the same as above, but roll dough out thin, 1/4\" at most.
Bake in 325 oven for about 20 minutes.
Remove to racks to cool, and let harden/dry out a bit overnight for sturdiness if making large pieces.
*Doors and windows need to be cut out PRIOR to baking. Fill any with crushed hard candy before baking, too. And pieces filled with hard candy baked the best on foil. Non candy-filled pieces were baked on parchment paper.