Instructions: Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or heavy aluminum foil.

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon and ginger together and set aside.

Put the shortening and 1 cup of the sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add the egg and molasses and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, until blended thoroughly.

Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl during this time.

On low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until all the flour is incorporated and the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

For each cookie, roll 2 tablespoons of dough between the palms of your hands into a 1 1/2 inch ball. Roll each ball in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to coat.

Place balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake one baking sheet at a time, about 17 minutes, reversing sheet after 8 minutes. The cookies will flatten toward the end of their baking time and the tops will have cracks when they are done. Bake the second pan of cookies.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

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