4 and 1/2 cups sifted flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 cup buttermilk
Sift together first 5 ingredients. In a large, cream shortening, sugar and beat in molasses. Stir in sifted dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, blending well. Dough will be very soft. Chill dough until it becomes firmer, about 1 hour in freezer. Work with 1/2 of the dough at a time. Keep the remainder in the fridge. Use a well-floured pastry cloth and a well floured stockinette-covered rolling pin.
Dough will still be very soft even after cooling it. Toss the half you work with into extra flour on the pastry cloth then roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 3 and 1/2 or 4 inch round floured cookie cutter. Place cookies 3 inchs apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees until lightly browned .. 15 minutes. With a wide, metal spatuala remove to wire rack to cool. Store tightly in a covered tin box. Should stay soft for 2 weeks. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Rhonda's Note: For smaller cookies, use smaller cutter, other instructions the same.