To blanch the almonds, place in an 8 to 9 inch square pan and bake at 350 until golden brown. Let cool, coarsely chop, and set aside.
In a large bowl combine sugar, butter, molasses, and ginger and mix until smooth.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and almonds.
Combine both the wet mixture and the dry mixture.
On two greased 12×15 inch baking sheets, use well-floured hands to pat dough into 4 flat loaves, spacing them evenly on sheets; each loaf should be about 1/2 inch thick, 2 inches wide and the length of the baking sheet.
Bake at 350 until browned at edges and springy to touch, about 25 minutes.
Let loaves stand on baking sheets until cool to touch, then cut into long, 1/2-inch thick diagonal slices. On baking sheets, arrange slices close together with a cut side down. Return to oven and bake at 350 until cookies are brown (about 15 minutes).
Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
