Mother and Dad, aka Mimi and Gramps, kept these in a tin and a cookie jar for most of the 20 or so growing up years of their next door grandchildren. Some of the grandchildren from farther away loved these, too.
The recipe I located, in Mother’s handwriting, appeared on a card imprinted, “From the kitchen of Ruth Roberts.” With a little bit of internet research, I believe it’s likely these cookies came from the kitchen of Betty Crocker originally.
For best results, find at least one child to help with making the batter and shaping the cookies.
¾ cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
2 ¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
Mix shortening, sugar, eggs, and molasses. Sift together flour, salt, soda, and spices. Stir into molasses mix just until flour is fully blended. Dough will be stiff. Chill dough for several hours or overnight.
Roll into balls about the size of a walnut. Dip tops in granulated sugar. (Here is where children make this recipe even better.) Place on cookie sheet and press thumbprint into each cookie. Put a drop of water into each thumbprint. Bake in 375 degree oven for 8 – 10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
This recipe doubles perfectly. To be truthful, I have never known anyone in my family to make a single recipe.
How lucky we are to have the 
Cici Bauer
We have a mystery out here in California. For 300 years or more, this recipe in near identical fashion has been baked in the spring, called Beltane cookies. It is early American or old English in origin. But who knows. My friends and I have made the recipe you have above for years. We use butter but maybe that’s a California “thing”. We, all women of middle years, all LOVE these cookies more than any we eat. We can’t get enough of them. I’ve seen the health benefits of these spices and molasses but could there be something about these cookies that simply appeals to women and/or children and others on a very basic level. For example, I did not have these cookies as a child. Regardless, I’ve made two batches myself in 10 days and tomorrow I am making another. It is a wonderful cookie whether for fall or spring. The mystery is the earthy and basic appeal of molasses cookies to so many people and also that I could find a recipe 300 years old that was nearly identical to yours and to mine. This must be a very special recipe and I wish I could someone who knew more about it’s history.
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