• In the medium bowl, add the flour, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt, and baking soda. Mix until well combined; set aside.
• In the bowl of a countertop mixer with the paddle attached, combine the butter, brown sugar, and molasses. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until fully combined. Add remaining flour mixture and beat until fully combined.
• Cover and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. (Note: the dough will be very crumbly at this point.)
• Transfer dough to a well-floured table; roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut desired shapes and transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Re-roll scraps of dough together and continue process until all dough has been used. (Tip: Use plenty of flour on the work surface and rolling pin to keep dough from sticking.)
• (Optional: Sprinkle a generous amount of sanding sugar across the tops of some of the cookies. Leave other cookies plain if you wish to decorate them with icing.)
• Bake cookies at 375°F for 8-9 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges. Allow cookies to cool before decorating

For the Icing

• In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until mixture is well combined. (If Icing is too thick, add more milk. If Icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar.)
• Transfer Icing to a piping bag or a sandwich bag with one small corner snipped off. Decorate cookies as desired.