Old Fashioned Chocolate Molasses Cookies

I had been looking for a recipe that my mother in law used to make..a chocolate and a molasses cookie all in one. And find it I did..written on a small piece of paper. My mom did the same..recipes were jotted down on whatever piece of paper was handy. Often it was written on the back of a used envelope...everything got recycled! Now I wish that I had all those pieces of paper in my recipe collection.

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp cocoa
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Cream shortening, sugar and molasses together.
Add egg and vanilla.
Sift flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda together.
Stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk until well mixed.
At this point you can make drop cookies by dropping rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or add enough flour to make a dough that can be rolled, then cut with a cooky cutter.
Bake at 375º for 10 to 12 min.
Frost with a plain vanilla icing.

Vanilla Icing:
2 cups icing (powdered) sugar
1 1/2 to 2 tbsp softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 to 4 tbsp milk
Combine and stir till smooth and well blended. If necessary add more icing sugar or milk for spreading consistency.

Approx 2 doz..but then my cookies were rather on the large size..just like I remember them:)