1) Cream sugar and lard. Beat in eggs. Add molasses and 1 cup flour. Set aside.
2) Mix about 2 cups flour with baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
3) Pour 4 Tbsps. boiling water over soda in small dish.
4) Add flour mixture, soda and water, vinegar and vanilla to cream mixture and mix well.
5) Add enough flour to make soft sticky dough. Chill. Roll our and cut. Sprinkle with sugar and bake (or bake and frost)

Bake in 400* oven until finger touch leaves no imprint in cookie.

Tastes best if left several days. Nice for animal Christmas cutouts.