Preheat the oven: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set them aside.

Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside for later.

Cream the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes.

Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Continue mixing until everything is well combined. The mixture should have a rich, dark color and smooth texture.

Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, about a third at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough will start to come together and should be slightly sticky but firm enough to roll into balls.

Chill the dough: For best results, chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This makes the dough easier to handle and helps the cookies keep their shape while baking.

Roll Out and Cut Shapes: Once chilled, lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Transfer the cutouts to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each.

Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes. They should be set around the edges but still soft in the center. Avoid overbaking to keep them soft.

Cool and Decorate: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2–3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, decorate the gingerbread men with icing, candies, or other toppings as desired.