These gingerbread cookies work well with cutters and are pretty much fail-proof. Just combine all the ingredients (I usually double the amounts on all the spices, but not everyone likes extra-strong gingerbread!), chill for about an hour (to make the dough easier to roll out), then bake at 350F for about 8 minutes (keep an eye on them). They're fine on their own, or you can decorate them after they cool with a hard icing (or candies glued on with icing).

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves