Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

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 a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light 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 egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until a dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for 20-30 minutes.
When your dough has 10 minutes left to chill, preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour the granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. Using a small cookie scoop (mine is a 1 oz scoop - about 30-35 grams per cookie) scoop the dough and immediately plop it in the bowl with the sugar. Toss to coat. Place them 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are set and lightly golden and the centers are puffed up. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once the cookies are cool, make the cream cheese icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter for 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed until creamy.
Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, continuing to beat until it’s a thick frosting. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Frost the cookies and enjoy!
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.