Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
Mix in the molasses, egg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, baking soda, and salt until smooth, ensuring to scrape the sides as needed.
Gradually add the flour and mix until well incorporated.
Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness.
Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter (or other shapes) to cut out cookies. Place the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1 to 2 inches apart.
Re-roll any remaining dough and continue cutting out cookies until all the dough is used.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Wait about 30 minutes before decorating.