Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, about 1 minute.

Add the egg and molasses and continue to beat until blended and evenly brown, another 30 seconds or so.

Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to the bowl with the butter and sugar. Using a fork, whisk the dry ingredients together with a few strokes. Use the electric mixer to beat all the ingredients together, slowly at first, then increasing the speed to high, until creamy, and smooth, another 30 seconds.

Arrange 6 tablespoon-size balls of dough on each cookie sheet. Put granulated sugar into a small, shallow dish. Moisten the bottom of a jelly jar or drinking glass with water. Dip the bottom of the jar into the sugar and then press down to flatten a cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Bake until the cookies spread into large disks and begin to darken. Chewy cookies take about 10 minutes. For crispy cookies, bake for 12 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before lifting from the baking sheet. Store in a cookie tin or jar with a tight lid.