Grandmother's Lebkuchen Cookies

1 pint molasses (green label-Brer Rabbit)
2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup shortening
1 1/4 teaspoons anise oil
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons baking soda (dissolved in 1/4 cup of warm water)
1 cup coffee, warm
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 cup walnuts, ground fine
1 teaspoon salt
7 1/2-8 cups flour

Cream together molasses, brown sugar, egg, and shortening.
Sift cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, salt, and flour and set aside.
Add coffee and vinegar to creamed brown sugar mixture and mix thoroughly.
Add dry ingredients and baking soda solution to mixture (mix well).
Add ground walnuts and mix.
Refrigerate for at least 3 days.
Dough will be tough.
keep unused dough in fridge.
Keep flouring rolling pin.
On a floured surface and with a floured rolling pin roll out dough (Roll out a pound at a time) to 1/4 of an inch.
cut cookies with cookie cutters.
grease cookie sheet slightly.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.
Ice with confectioner sugar, butter, milk icing (I don't have exact measurements for her icing because she says she wings it).