In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set this bowl aside for later!

In a separate bowl, cream the softened butter and dark brown sugar together using a hand mixer or a wooden spoon until light and fluffy.

Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Beat everything together until well combined and smooth.

Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing well after each addition until a smooth dough forms.

Divide the dough into two portions and flatten each into disks. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out one chilled disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thickness.

Use gingerbread cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges look set and are slightly browned.

Let the biscuits cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk or water to get a thick but pipeable consistency.

Once cooled, decorate the biscuits with the icing and colored decorations.

Allow the icing to fully set before serving or storing the biscuits in an airtight container.