In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, cloves, and cardamom.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the combine the brown sugar and butter until soft and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add in the discard, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until combined well.

Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The dough should be smooth and pliable.

Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each portion into a disc.

Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

When ready to bake, place the dough on the counter to warm and preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with silicone baking mats or pachment paper.

Use a silicone rolling mat with a tiny sprinkle of flour to roll out one disc at a time until it is a bout 1/4" thick.

Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Place the cookies 1" apart on the prepared baking pans.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. The cookies should just barely look done and not be too browned on the edges.

Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.