• Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute).
• Add the brown sugar and molasses. Beat on medium high speed until well combined.
• Add the egg and vanilla and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated.
• In a separate large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves).
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until just combined.
• Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
• Pre-heat your oven to 350°F and line a couple of cookie trays with parchment paper.
• Take one disc of dough and roll it out onto a floured work surface until about 1/4" thick. You can sprinkle the dough surface with additional flour if it starts to get too sticky.
• Cut the dough into your desired shapes. For a gingerbread house you'll want four wall pieces and two roof panels. Re-roll any scraps and continue cutting shapes until the dough is all used up. Repeat with the second dough disc. 
• Place the shapes onto your prepared cookie tray, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the Royal Icing

• In a large bowl, beat all the ingredients together at medium speed until the mixture forms peaks and starts to loose its sheen (7-10 minutes). If the frosting is too thick to pipe, add a little more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too runny, add a little more icing sugar. Colour the frosting with whatever food colours you would like. Transfer the frosting to piping bags and decorate to your heart's content!