Ginger Cookies

 About 48 cookies

4-½  cups all-purpose flour
1½   tablespoons ground ginger
2       teaspoons baking soda
1½    teaspoons ground cinnamon
½      teaspoon ground allspice
¼      teaspoon salt 3 ounces candied ginger slices
¾      cup non-hydrogenated shortening
¾      cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾      cup packed brown sugar
½      cup molasses
2       large eggs
¾      cup coarse sugar or granulated sugar

1. Place flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl; stir to combine. Reserve.
2. Insert metal "s" blade. Place ginger slices in work bowl. Pulse to chop finely, 10 to 15 times. Remove and reserve.
3. Place shortening and butter in the work bowl. Process until smooth and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape work bowl and process 30 seconds longer. Add eggs. Process 30 seconds, scrape work bowl. Process for an additional 30 seconds. Scrape work bowl. Place half the flour mixture and half the chopped candied ginger on top of the creamed mixture. Pulse until flour is blended in, about 10 to 15 pulses. Scrape work bowl. Add remaining flour mixture and chopped candied ginger to work bowl. Pulse until flour is just blended in, about 10 to 15 pulses. Do not over process - there may still be a sprinkling of flour showing, stir this in with a spatula.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Line baking sheets with parchment. Shape dough into rounded spoonfuls about the size of a walnut (use a #40 ice cream scoop for uniformity) and dip in the granulated sugar to coat.* Arrange evenly spaced on baking sheets, about 2-inches apart.
6. Bake in preheated oven until crackled, about 14 to 16 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.