Brown the butter: In a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook, swirling, until it foams and milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, 4–6 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and let cool 10 minutes.

Whisk wet ingredients: To the cooled browned butter, whisk in brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until glossy. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and slightly thick.

Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Combine: Add dry ingredients to wet. Stir with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. The dough will be thick and sticky.

Chill: Cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes (or up to 48 hours). This helps flavor develop and keeps cookies thick.

Prep to bake: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment. Place 1/3 cup sugar in a shallow bowl for rolling.

Shape: Scoop dough into 1 1/2-tablespoon balls (about 30 g each). Roll in sugar to coat. For extra thick cookies, chill the rolled balls 10 minutes on the tray.

Bake: Arrange 2 inches apart. Bake 9–11 minutes, until edges are set and tops are crackly but centers look slightly underdone. Do not overbake.

Cool: Let cookies rest on the sheet 5 minutes to set, then transfer to a rack. They’ll firm up as they cool but stay chewy.

Optional finish: While warm, lightly tap each cookie with a flat spatula to gently crinkle and level the tops.