Step one: beat the butter, brown sugar and molasses until uffy using a hand mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until mixed. Step two: in a separate bowl, whisk the our, spices and baking soda. Then, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until the dough starts to come together. Step three: take the dough and split it in half, wrap the halves in plastic wrap, then chill for about two hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place half of the dough on a poured pan and roll until it is about one-fourth thick. Use a gingerbread-shaped cookie cutter to shape the cookies then carefully place them on the sheets. Bake for about nine to ten minutes. Then, let the cookies chill for five minutes.