Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 1 cup sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, then the water and molasses, until smooth and glossy.

Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture a little at a time until a soft dough forms. It will be sticky — that's right.

Put the 2 tablespoons of sugar for rolling in a small bowl. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each), roll each ball in the sugar, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.

Bake 8–10 minutes, until the cookies are puffed, crackled on top, and just set at the edges. The centers will still look soft — take them out anyway.

Let the cookies rest on the pan 5 minutes (they finish setting here), then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.