Big Soft Ginger Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 6 tablespoons butter shortening flavored (or regular)
• 0.3 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder 
• 1 large eggs 
• 10 oz flour - spoon and sweep whole wheat white
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cloves 
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger 
• 0.3 cup blackstrap molasses (not blackstrap)
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 6 tablespoons butter unsalted firm
• 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• hand mixer

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready two or three large cookie sheets lined with parchment or Silpats.Using an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Beat in shortening, then add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Continue beating for another minute. Beat in egg, vanilla and molasses.In a separate bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, soda, salt and remaining spices.
2. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until mixed.Shape dough into 12 evenly sized balls (a little bitter than golf balls).
3. Roll the balls in sparkly sugar.
4. Place 3 inches apart on cookie sheets and bake one sheet at a time on center rack of oven for 13-15 minutes. Cookies should appear cracked on top but still slightly soft.