Soft Ginger Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves in a medium bowl; set aside. Mix the butter and 1 cup of the sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl. Add the egg and molasses, and mix well, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the flour mixture gradually to the egg mixture. Place the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 1½-inch balls and roll in sugar. Place the balls 2½ inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake on the center rack until light brown and puffed, about 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 30 cookies.