Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 1 lb, 6 oz white granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 Tablespoons vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons baking soda
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar, for rolling (powdered or granulated)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.

2. Mix the butter and the sugar together and beat them with a mixer or a spoon until they look nice and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

4. Mix in the molasses and the vinegar. (spray the inside of my measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in the molasses.)

5. Stir everything up thoroughly, and then I add the flour in one-cup increments, stirring after each cup is added.

6. Use your hands to roll the dough into walnut-sized balls. If the dough is too sticky, put it in the refrigerator a half-hour or so—that’ll make it easier to roll.

7. Put the powdered sugar in a small bowl and roll the balls in it. Place them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 cookie balls to a standard-size sheet. Press them down just a bit when you place them on the sheet so they won’t roll off when you carry them to the oven. You don’t have to flatten them. They’ll spread out all by themselves while they bake.

8. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

9. Let the cookies cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheet and then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

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