I love soft cookies, and I love spicy cookies.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening at room temperature
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten lightly
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 2 tablespoons honey or golden syrup
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 heaping teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 heaping teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• granulated sugar for dipping the balls of dough
• raspberry jam (optional)

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the shortening with the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in the egg, molasses, and honey until combined. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture, a third at a time, to the shortening mixture, and blend the dough well. Chill the dough, covered, for at least 1 hour.

Roll level tablespoons of the dough into balls. Roll the balls of dough in the granulated sugar. Arrange the balls about 3 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are puffed and cracked on top. Optionally, make a small indentation in the middle of the cookies and fill with raspberry jam.

Transfer the cookies to racks and let them cool. Makes 4 dozen small cookies.