In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar for 1 minute. Mix in the molasses, egg, and vanilla and beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little at a time, beating between each addition until fully incorporated.
Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grab a couple of baking sheets and set them aside for now.
Use a spoon or rubber spatula to fill a cookie press with chilled cookie dough. Press the dough out onto flat ungreased baking sheets. You can bake up to 2 cookie sheets at a time. Place any unused cookie dough back in the refrigerator while each batch bakes.
Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
After the cookies are cooled all the way, you can dip the tops of the cookies in melted white chocolate, if desired. Melt the white chocolate wafers according to the package directions, dip the cookies, and then return them to the wire rack to let the chocolate set up.
Notes
These are spicy little cookies. We liked the addition of white chocolate because the sweetness helped balance the spice, but feel free to leave them plain. You can also dust with powdered sugar after baking or with sprinkles before baking.
Do not try to make these cookies on greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, the cookie dough will not stick to them out of the cookie press.