Preheat oven to 350F. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and cloves into a large bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
Cream the butter, sugar and molasses in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric mixer). Beat until lighter in color and fluffy.
Add the egg while mixing on low, then add the vanilla. Scrape the bowl down and mix again until ingredients are completely distributed.
Add the flour mixture in then mix on low to medium-low until just combined. Scrape bowl down one last time and use a spatula to fold in any remaining flour.
Use a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon to potion out 1.5-2 inch balls. Roll each into a ball in your clean palms then roll in sanding or granulated sugar.
Place balls about two inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for 12-13 minutes. The cookies' edges will be set but the centers will continue to bake/set after they're removed from the oven.
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Notes
Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
Freshly grated and minced ginger and even candied ginger will give a nice added bite to these cookies if that's something you like.
I packed these cookies will all my favorite spices but feel free to use what you have in the pantry and skip a few if you're in a rush; they'll still be delicious!
You can roll to cookies in regular granulated sugar. I like sanding sugar because the crystals are larger and there's more sparkle and crunch but both work well.