cup molasses
3 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Cream together shortening, brown sugar, spices and salt. Add the egg,
mix thoroughly. Add molasses and blend. Sift together twice the flour,
soda, baking powder and add to the molasses mixture. Stir well and
chill. Roll out a fourth of the dough at a time, on floured board to a
little more than 1/8 inch thick. Cut with gingerbread man cutters or
other shapes. Bake on greased cookie sheets in moderately hot (375-f)
oven, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool before decorating.

PFEFFERNUSSE

3 eggs
1/2 lb. powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lemon, juice and rind

Beat eggs well, gradually add powdered sugar, lemon juice and grated
rind. Sift flour and add salt, soda and spices. Sift again and add to
egg and sugar mixture. Beat to form smooth, medium-soft dough. Chill in
refrigerator for several hours. Roll out on floured board, into long
finger-shaped sticks. Cut into small marble sized pieces and bake on
greased baking sheets in hot oven (425-f) until they turn a light,
golden brown.

MORAVIAN DARK COOKIES

1/2 lb. butter
1 cup sugar
1 tblsp. cream
2 cups dark molasses
1 tblsp. cinnamon
1/2 tblsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves, ground
8 cups flour

Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the cream,
molasses, cinnamon, ginger and cloves and blend smooth. Work in the
flour gradually. Roll out as thin as possible on floured board. Cut into
various shapes with cookie cutters. Bake on greased cookie sheets in
moderate oven (350-f) for about 12 minutes. Decorate using a pastry tube
and icing made from egg-white and confectioners sugar.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH

[Illustration: "A plump wife and a big barn never did any man harm"]

Pies

PUMPKIN PIE

1-1/2 cups mashed cooked pumpkin
1-1/2 cups rich milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
pastry for 9" shell
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves, powdered
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tblsp. butter, melted

Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat well with a rotary egg beater.
Chill and pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake in hot oven (450-f) for
10 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately slow oven (325-f). When surface of
pie filling turns light brown, test by inserting a silver knife. If it
comes out clean the pie is finished baking.

LEMON CUSTARD PIE