In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add egg. Beat well.

Stir together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda. With mixer on low speed gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating well. Cover and chill in refrigerator about 2 hours or until firm enough to roll out.

Preheat oven to 350 degree F For each cookie roll 3/4 cup of the chilled dough about 1/4 inch thick directly onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (Keep remaining dough in the refrigerator.) Using floured cardboard patterns and a table knife, cut out desired shapes. Remove excess dough. Sprinkle cookies with colored sugar or crushed sugar cubes, if desired. If you want to tie a ribbon in your cookie card, make a small hole in the top of the cookie.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are browner than centers. Let cool on cookie sheets for 8 minutes. With a pancake turner lift cookies onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Decorate cookies with decorator icing and red cinnamon candies. If desired, run a ribbon through the hole and tie a bow. Store cookies in airtight container up to 2 days. Makes 10 large cookies.