In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and packed light brown sugar on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and smooth (about 2-3 minutes).

Beat in the room-temperature egg and the unsulphured molasses. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is incorporated.

Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the dry spiced flour mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together and no dry white streaks remain. Do not overmix.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for exactly 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour the coarse sanding sugar into a small, shallow bowl.

Use a cookie scoop to portion the chilled dough into 1.5 tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball firmly between your hands, then drop them into the bowl of sugar and roll until completely coated.

Place the sugar-coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between them.

Bake for 9-11 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are set and the tops are deeply cracked, even if the centers still look quite soft.

Allow the cookies to cool directly on the hot baking sheets for 5 minutes to firm up.

Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.