Step 1

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to combine. Set aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the egg and molasses and beat until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Shape the dough into a thick disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 4

Remove dough from the refrigerator and let stand until just pliable enough to roll with ease. Place the chilled dough in between two large pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap on a work surface. Roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the dough and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing at least a 1/2-inch apart. Reroll remaining scraps of dough into 1/4-inch thickness and cut out more shapes.

Step 5

If at any point the dough becomes too warm to hold its shape or becomes unbearably sticky*, return to the fridge (or freezer) until firm again.

Step 6

Bake for 11 minutes, or until the cookies are set and the edges are slightly browned, rotating sheets halfway through. For crisper cookies, bake for about 13 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 3 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 7

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ingredients until a thick and smooth icing forms. Add more milk if the icing is too thick, or more sifted powdered sugar if it’s too thin.

Step 8

Transfer the icing to a small squeeze bottle, piping bag, or ziptop bag with a small hole cut in the corner. Decorate the cookies with the icing. Allow to set before serving or storing.