In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg until well combined. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, using an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, and continue mixing until fully incorporated.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until the dough comes together. Be sure not to overmix.

Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to approximately 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The cookies will firm up as they cool.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on it for 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking process with the remaining dough.

Once cooled, the nut-free Canadian gingerbread cookies are ready to be enjoyed! You can decorate them with icing or leave them plain. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.