Prepare the Gingerbread Dough

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and creamy.
• Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms.
• Divide the dough into two portions, flatten each into a disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll.

Roll and Cut the Cookies

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Lightly flour a clean work surface and rolling pin.
• Roll one portion of dough to about ¼-inch thickness.
• Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes.
• Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie.
• Gather the scraps, reroll once or twice, and continue cutting until the dough is used.

Bake the Gingerbread Men

• Bake for 8–10 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies.
• For softer cookies, remove them when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
• Allow them to cool completely before decorating.

Prepare the Icing

• In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
• Add a little more milk if needed to create a piping consistency.
• Divide the icing into separate bowls and add food coloring if desired.

Decorate the Cookies

• Transfer the icing to piping bags or small zip-top bags with the corners snipped off.
• Pipe faces, smiles, buttons, bow ties, and decorative details onto the gingerbread men.
• Add holiday sprinkles while the icing is still wet.
• Allow the icing to set completely before serving.

Serve and Enjoy

• Arrange the decorated gingerbread men on a festive Christmas platter.
• Enjoy them with warm milk, hot chocolate, or your favorite holiday drink.