Add flour, baking soda, spices, and salt to a medium bowl. Mix until combined.

In a large bowl, mix butter and brown sugar until combined, mixing by hand or with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until creamier. Add the molasses, and mix until combined. Next, add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing for about 1 minute until fully incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in the large bowl, and mix until just combined. When the dough has formed, keep it in the large bowl, and cover the dough with plastic wrap.

Place the dough (kept in the bowl and covered) in the refrigerator and cool for about 1 hour. If you need more time, you can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days, but you will need more time for it to reach room temperature when you're ready to bake.

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F about 15 minutes before baking. Prepare a sheet tray with aluminum foil.

Remove the dough from the fridge. If it cooled for only 1 hour, it's ready to use immediately. If it's been in longer, let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes.

Place the 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a bowl. Roll the dough into balls, about 1 1/2 tablespoons, and roll them in the sugar. Place the prepared dough balls on the baking sheet - 12 per sheet (3 rows of 4 cookies each) - and flatten each ball slightly.

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes until tops are cracking. Let cool for about 5 minutes on the tray, remove from the tray, and let cookies continue to cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!