4 c flour 1 c dark molasses
2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cloves 12 T butter, softened
½ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 c sugar
preferably freshly grated 2 T rum combined with 6 T water,
¼ tsp ground allspice or substitute ½ c water
1½ tsp salt
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Combine 3½ cups of the flour, the ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and
salt and sift them into a large bowl. Stir the molasses and soda together
in a small bowl until the mixture stops foaming.In another bowl, cream 8 tablespoons of softened butter with the sugar, beating and mashing them against the sides of the bowl with the back of a spoon until they are light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses mixture and when it is well incorporated, add the rum and water or the water alone. Stir in the flour-and-spice mixture, about 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, and continue to beat until the dough is smooth. Cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375°. With a pastry brush, spread 2 tablespoons of the softened butter evenly over two large baking sheets.
Sprinkle a board with the remaining ½ cup of flour, and on it roll the dough out into a rough circle about ¼ to 1/3 inch thick. With a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut the dough into 3-inch rounds. Gather the scraps together, roll them out as before and cut out as many more rounds as you can. Place about half of the rounds 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are crisp around the edges and the tops feel firm when prodded gently with a finger. With a wide metal spatula, transfer them to wire racks. Let the baking sheets cool completely, spread them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of softened butter and bake the remaining cookies in the preheated oven. In a tightly covered jar or box, Joe Froggers can safely be kept 2 or 3 weeks. Makes about 20 four-inch round cookies.
