In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg, then stir in the molasses until smooth.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough into two disks, wrap tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll one disk of chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness and cut into shapes.

Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets and bake 8–10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers remain soft.

Let cookies rest on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.