Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Place butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add in egg yolk and molasses and combine.

Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt all at once and lightly mix together before incorporating into dough with the mixer. Mix until well combined and then (if needed) use hands to pull dough together and roll into a single ball. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and roll around in bowl to coat.

Place dough ball on a parchment-lined baking sheet and use your hand to gently flatten to about 5-inches in diameter. If desired, sprinkle top of cookie dough with coarse sugar.

Bake for 10-13 minutes. Cookie should look crackly around the outer couple inches and still appear a little soft in the middle. It will continue to crackle as it cools!