Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, espresso powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat butter on medium speed until it becomes very creamy and pale in color. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and cream together until fluffy.

Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat together until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until the dough is just combined.

Use a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to form the balls of dough.

Chill the dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

Roll each cookie dough ball in between your hands until they form a perfect ball. Roll each ball in granulated sugar until they're all coated. Place the balls on your lined baking sheet, leaving about 2" in between each ball to allow for spreading.

Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes or until they're puffy but still very soft. After taking them out of the oven, bang the baking sheet against a wire rack once to release the puffiness and create cracks on the cookies.

Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until it becomes a thick but pourable consistency.

Transfer the icing to a piping bag or use a spoon to drizzle it on top of the cookies.