In a large mixing bowl cream shortening & 1 cup sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and molasses. Mix well.
¾ cup shortening, 1 ⅓ cups white sugar, 1 egg, 4 Tbsp. molasses
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt & spices. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
2 cups all purpose flour, ¾ tsp. salt, 2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. cloves, 1 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp. cinnamon
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. I like to scoop the dough into balls before chilling. Use a #30 cookie scoop or spoon to make balls about 1-½ inches in diameter. Place them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place remaining ⅓ cup sugar on a small plate. After chilling the dough, roll each ball in the sugar and place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies 10-12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 2 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
