Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add the sugar and butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer until it's light and fluffy.

Add the molasses, milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

Add the flour, spices and baking soda and mix until combined. If the dough is too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons more milk and mix through. If your dough is too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons more flour and mix.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough so it is about 6mm (¼ inch) thick. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes.

Carefully place each cookie on a lined baking tray leaving 1-inch between each of them.

Collect the excess dough, roll it out and cut out more shapes from the dough. Repeat until you have no more dough.

Bake the cookies in the oven. For soft cookies that are 4-inches tall, bake them for 12-14 minutes. For crunchy cookies, bake them for around 14-16 minutes.

The cookies are done when they have slightly puffed up and the edges look set.

Add the icing ingredients to a bowl and mix until it forms a thick paste.

Use a fine-tipped piping bag to decorate your gingerbread cookies as desired. Allow the icing to dry at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for 1 week or freezer for up to 1 month.