Step 1 Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and molasses, and mix. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg and add to the melted butter mixture; blend well.
Step 2 Sift the flour with the cloves, ginger, cinnamon, salt and baking soda and mix into the melted butter mixture. The batter will be wet.
Step 3Lay a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Drop tablespoons of cookie batter on the sheet, leaving 3 inches between the cookies. These will spread during baking.
Step 4Bake until the cookies start to darken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven while they are still soft. Let cool on the cookie sheet.