1. In an electric mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and salt. Beat in eggs and molasses.

2. Add flour; mix on low speed to combine. Divide dough into thirds, press to flatten, and wrap in plastic. Transfer to refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour.

3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Flour 2 pieces of parchment. Roll out each piece of dough to 1/8 inch on the floured parchment. Cover with another sheet of parchment and place in freezer for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from freezer and use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes. Using a spatula, transfer shapes to a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Do not move shapes again; if the dough becomes too soft to work with, return to freezer until firm.) If desired, use alphabet cookie cutters to cut initials from the centers of the cookies. Make an 1/8-inch hole for the ribbon (a #7 round pastry tip works well). Cover cookies with parchment; place a second baking pan on top to keep them flat while baking.

5. Bake until lightly browned, about 35 minutes for a single batch in center of oven, or 40 to 45 minutes with 2 batches in oven, rotating them twice between shelves. Transfer to a wire rack; do not remove top pan until cookies are cool, about 20 minutes.