In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter, brown sugar, and molasses on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes Add in the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more.

With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture gradually until a nice dough forms.

Divide the dough in half and shape into disks. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight. (This step is important because the dough gets soft quickly and is very sticky when soft, so it really needs to be thoroughly chilled.)

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of chilled dough at a time to about ¼-inch in thickness. (If it starts to crack when you roll it, cover it and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to soften slightly.)

Dip the cookie cutter shapes of your choice in flour and cut out as many as you can. (I typically use shapes that are 2½ inches to 4 inches in size.) Carefully transfer each cutout to a baking sheet, leaving an inch between them. Reroll the scraps once.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Place your icing of choice in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip or with the tip snipped off.

Pipe decorations onto the cooled cookies with the icing.

Attach sprinkles and or candies for added visual interest while the icing is still wet. Let the cookies sit until the icing is dry, 1 to 2 hours.