• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high for 2–3 minutes until light, fluffy, and slightly pale.
• Beat in molasses, egg, and vanilla until smooth and fully combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
• On low speed, add the dry ingredients in two additions until a soft dough forms. Don’t overmix.
• Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a rough rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 45 minutes to 1 hour, just long enough to firm it up without making it hard to roll.
• Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll evenly to about ¼-inch thickness. Peel away the top parchment and cut out shapes directly in the dough. Carefully transfer the cut cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet using a thin spatula. Gather scraps, re-roll once between parchment, and cut again.

  (Rolling the dough between parchment paper means you won’t need much, if any, extra flour, which helps keep the cookies extra tender.)
• Place trays of cut cookies in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or freeze for 10–15 minutes before baking. This ensures clean edges and helps them hold their shape perfectly.
• Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. For soft cookies: bake until the edges just start to darken. For crisper ones: add 1–2 minutes more.
• Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before decorating.

Easy Cookie Icing

• Whisk powdered sugar, heavy cream, melted butter, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt until smooth and glossy.
• Add more cream, ½ teaspoon at a time, to thin the icing, or more powdered sugar to thicken it. Tint with food coloring if desired, then pipe or frost cooled cookies. The icing will set after a couple of hours.