Gingerbread Cookies

Add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt and baking powder to a mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
In a separate large mixing bowl, add the butter and brown sugar. Cream together for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix for another 2 minutes, until the egg is combined.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until no more streaks of flour remain.
Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pat it into a disk. Wrap the dough up and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Dust your work surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar or flour. Roll the gingerbread dough out to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Combine leftover dough and roll it out again, cutting with more cookie cutters until all the remaining dough is used up.
Place the dough shapes onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches in between each cookie.
Bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are firm and the centers no longer look shiny.
Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Once cooled completely, decorate with royal icing however you’d like. Let the cookie icing harden completely before serving.