I love the taste of gingersnaps, but hate the fact that they snap. I always prefer soft cookies. So this recipe is the perfect solution. If you like your cookies snappy, just bake them a little longer.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, crisco, and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the orange juice and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. (Sorry, this step not skip-able. If you bake them right away you get ginger frisbees.)
Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.