Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add in the molasses and vanilla extract and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, instant espresso powder, salt, cloves and nutmeg.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture until just combined.

Drop the cookie dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake the cookies until they spring back when touched lightly, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the baking sheets to wire racks.

In a small bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons of the whole milk with the instant espresso powder until dissolved.

Add the vanilla extract and salt to the espresso mixture.

Gradually whisk the confectioners' sugar into the espresso mixture in parts, making sure to smooth out the lumps before adding more confectioners’ sugar.

Add enough of the remaining milk—1 teaspoon at a time—until the desired consistency is reached.

Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing.

Gently remove the excess icing by using a small offset spatula to swipe across the top.

Let the icing set before stacking the cookies on a Christmas cookie tray or in an airtight container.