Thanksgiving is fast approaching, bringing with it a plethora of pumpkin-based dishes and a truly extraordinary amount of revenue for the canned pumpkin industry. This year, why not stick it to the proverbial canned pumpkin man and try this molasses-based recipe instead? These kind of monopolies are no good for the economy, you know.

What you’ll need –

Dry Ingredients:

 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

Wet Ingredients:

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the wet ingredients until fluffy.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

4. Sift and stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to make the dough.

5. Form the dough into inch round balls. For taste, and to keep them from sticking to the cookie sheet, drop each individual ball in some white sugar before you put it on the sheet.

6. Bake on a cookie sheet for 7-8 minutes. Once they’re out of the oven, drop the cookie sheet onto the counter. This will give your cookies the distinctive cracks.

8. Let cool and enjoy.