Grandma's Gingerbread Cookies

Directions

1. Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon) in medium sized bowl.  
2. In a large bowl, mix together the molasses, shortening, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla. Slowly add ingredients to wet mixture until dough is smooth.  Divide dough into 4 balls -- flatten and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.  
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Generously flour surface as dough is wet.  Roll to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with shaped cookie cutters placing on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until cookies look dry but are soft to the touch.  Let cool before adding royal icing, icing sugar or other toppings.