Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

                        3/4 C   shortening

                        1 C   brown sugar

Cream together.   Then add….

                        1/4 C light molassas

                        1 egg

Mix.

Mix together:

                        2 C  Flour

                        1/4   Tsp salt

                        2  Tsp   baking soda

                        1  Tsp  cinnamon

                        1  Tsp   cloves

                        1  Tsp  ginger

                        1/2  Tsp  nutmeg

                        1/2  Tsp  allspice

                        1/2  Tsp  cardamom

Add to wet ingredients.  Mix just until blended.

(optional—add finely chopped candied ginger)

(dough can be refrigerated for several hours but this is not necessary)

Roll spoonfuls of dough into small balls and cover in granulated sugar.  Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

I used cut these cookies into tree shapes and used them as Christmas Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix

1 1/3 cups baking mix

1 egg

1 tablespoon white sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease baking sheet.

Cream together the butter or margarine and the pudding mix. Blend in the baking mix, egg and sugar and mix well.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 3/8 inch thickness and cut into cookies with a shamrock cookie cutter.

Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake at 350F for 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges. Let cookies cool on rack. Frost with green colored icing and sprinkles. (optional)   Shamrock Cookies