• First, let’s get the butter right – take it out of the fridge about an hour before you start. You want it soft enough that your finger leaves an indent when you press it, but not so warm that it’s greasy or melting.
• While the butter’s softening, whisk together your dry ingredients in a medium bowl – the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all those warm spices. This helps distribute everything evenly, especially the baking soda which can leave bitter spots if it clumps.
• In your mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until it’s light and fluffy – about 3 minutes. You’ll see the color change to a lighter brown, and the texture will become almost mousse-like. Don’t rush this step – it’s key for tender cookies.
• Add egg, molasses, and vanilla to the butter mixture. Mix until everything’s well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. The mixture might look a bit curdled – that’s totally normal.
• Gradually add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture, about a cup at a time. Mix just until you don’t see any dry flour – overworking the dough will make tough cookies.
• Here’s a crucial step: wrap the dough in plastic and chill it for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you can. This firms up the butter and lets the flour hydrate properly, making the dough much easier to roll and helping the cookies keep their shape.
• When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Let the dough sit out for about 10 minutes – if it’s too cold, it’ll crack when you roll it.
• Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to about ¼-inch thickness. This keeps the dough from sticking without adding extra flour, which can make the cookies tough.
• Cut out your shapes and place them about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. These don’t spread much, but they need a little room.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes. Here’s how to know they’re done: the edges should be set but still soft, and the middle should look slightly underbaked and puffy. They’ll continue cooking a bit on the hot baking sheet.
• Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes – they’re quite soft when hot. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing (if using):

• Mix the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add more milk, a few drops at a time, until you reach the consistency you want – it should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped but thin enough to slowly settle into a smooth surface. Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off for decorating.