1. In a bowl, combine the flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
2. In another bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and molasses with an electric mixer. Add the egg and mix well. With the machine running on low speed or with a wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a disc with your hands. Cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
4. On a lightly floured work surface or between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the dough out until ¼ inch (5 mm) thick. Using a 2 ¼-inch (6 cm) round cookie cutter or another shape of your choice, cut out the cookies. Reuse any dough scraps. Arrange the cookies spaced out on the baking sheets.
5. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden. Let cool completely on the baking sheets, about 30 minutes.
6. Decorate the cooled cookies with royal icing or writing gel (see Chef’s tip).

Chef’s tip

To make your own royal icing, in a bowl, whisk 1 ½ cups (195 g) icing sugar and 1 egg white with an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Add a few drops of water or more icing sugar as needed.