In a large bowl, add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cloves, and nutmeg. Fluff to combine with a whisk or a fork.
In the bowl of a mixer, add the butter and brown sugar then cream together until fluffy and airy, about 2-3 minutes.
Scrape the bowl and add the remaining ingredients, the molasses, egg, and vanilla, combining everything on medium-low speed. Don’t panic if it starts to look curdled; the flour will bring everything together.
Once everything is combined, add the flour mixture about a 1/3 at a time with the mixer on low. Stir until just mixed, a few streaks of flour remaining. The dough will be chunky and possibly a bit sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide it in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350° F (176° C) and line one or more baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Roll one half of the dough out on a lightly floured surface to just under 1/4” thick, dip a cookie cutter in flour, and cut the cookies. Place the cookie cut outs on the baking sheet about an inch apart. The dough can be re-rolled several times though if it gets too sticky, refrigerate it for about 15 minutes.
Place the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack for 4 minutes. Spin the sheet around and bake for another 4-5 minutes, until the edges look a bit dry and slightly browner than the rest of the cookie. Continue with the other half of the dough until all the cookies are cut and baked.
Transfer to a cooling rack to cool and decorate as desired.