Preheat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer (or large bowl) beat the butter so it spreads around the bowl. Add the cup of sugar and beat until you can't see the sugar granules, but you can still feel them with your fingers. (About 1 minute.) Add the egg and molasses.
Add the flour mixture to the bowl a little at a time until everything is just mixed together.
Shape the dough into balls (about 1") with your hands or using a cookie scoop. Roll in the 1/4 C sugar and place on cookie sheets. (I line mine with a silpat mat to prevent from over browning on the bottom.)
Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. They should be puffy and light brown. (I always err on the side of not quite looking done since the cookie will continue to cook a little after being pulled from the oven.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes before removing from the pan.