1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

For icing:

2 teaspoons meringue powder - see note
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons lemon juice (more as needed for consistency)

Melt shortening and transfer to a large mixer bowl. Add molasses, brown sugar and dissolved baking soda; blend. Add spices, orange extract and salt; blend again. Gradually add flour and mix well, using hands if needed to work in all the flour. Wrap the dough in plastic, refrigerate until "ripened" for best flavor - at least overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into fifths and refrigerate all but one portion. Place dough on floured surface and lay a large piece of plastic wrap on top to roll out to 1/4 -inch thickness.

Cut out the dough into shapes with cutter or free-form. Transfer dough to parchment-covered cookie sheets and bake until very light brown, 4 to 5 minutes, watching carefully to prevent overbrowning.

Allow cookies to remain on sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool.

Continue rolling and baking as above. Store cooled, iced cookies in tins.

Note: This dough can be formed into logs, chilled well and sliced very thin for simple, round
Morovian-style cookies.

Mix icing ingredients in small bowl. Use more sugar or lemon juice to produce correct consistency for piping. Decorate cooled cookies.

Note: Meringue powder is available wherever cake-decorating supplies are sold.

- From Christmas in the Heartlands by Marcia Adams, 1992, Clarkson Potter.