2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsps. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup very hot water
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup dark molasses

Grease and lightly flour a 10 x 14 in pan. Sift flour once and then measure. Then sift the flour again with the baking soda, salt, ginger and cloves. In a separate bowl, cream the shortening & sugar together until light and fluffy. Add unbeaten egg to shortening and sugar, then add vanilla, lemon juice and molasses. Fold dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients. (Alternate 1/3 dry ingredients, then 1/3 of the hot water, and fold; then repeat until everything is in one bowl.) Pour the well blended batter into the greased and floured pan. Bake 40-45 minutes at 350 F.

Note:

• The temptation is overwhelming to add cinnamon. Resist. It makes the batter bitter.

• Unsalted butter is the best shortening for this bread.

• This is my own modernized version of the ginger bread Mary Todd Lincoln regularly served in Illinois. It is meant to be served with the meal and not as a dessert (although it works for that too).

• It is infinitely easier to make than this recipe makes it sound.