In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until lighter in color and fluffy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
Add the molasses and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until combined.
With the mixture on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients and continue to mix until a dough forms. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to chill for 20-30 minutes.
Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. Scoop the dough, roll them into balls and toss them in the sugar. Place them 3-4 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes if making smaller cookies and 12-14 minutes if making larger cookies. The edges will be set and the cookies will be slightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the pan for two minutes then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.
Once the cookies are on the baking sheet to cool, we decorate! Place two candy eyes in the center of the cookie, and one red M&M slightly lower for the nose. Break a pretzel twist in half and stick those in the top edges of the cookies - these are the antlers!
Let cool & enjoy!