In a large bowl, melt ¾ cup of unsalted butter and stir in 1 cup of brown sugar, ½ cup of molasses, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until combined.

Add 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon of ground cloves. Stir until integrated.

Gradually stir in 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour until a dough forms.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to about ¼ inch thick and cut into desired shapes.

Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes until edges are just browned; let cool on wire racks.

Whisk together 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar with milk to desired consistency, then frost the cooled cookies and decorate as desired.