The original recipe for these cinnamon cookies is written on an index card in my sister Beth’s earliest cursive handwriting, and it is probably the first recipe I remember her making when we were girls. She still makes them every Halloween.

　　

Ingredients

makes 2 dozen

　　2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1 teaspoon baking soda

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1 teaspoon ground cloves

　　1 teaspoon ground ginger

　　3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco

　　1 1/2 cups sugar

　　1/4 cup molasses

　　1 large egg

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Onto a large piece of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and 1 cup of the sugar. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and combine. Mix in the molasses and the egg. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour, or until firm. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, and then roll balls in the remaining sugar before placing on an ungreased cookie sheet, 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

　　Reprinted with permission from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours by Trisha Yearwood with Gwen Yearwood and Beth Yearwood Bernard. Copyright © 2008 by Trisha Yearwood. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Trisha Yearwood is a three-time Grammy-award winning country music star and the author of the bestselling cookbook Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. She is married to megastar Garth Brooks.