Preheat oven to 375°F.

Whisk the flour, salt, and spices together in a bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until they’ve just come together (not light and fluffy). Add the egg, and mix until incorporated. Add the molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix until incorporated.

Slowly mix in the flour mixture until your dough forms. If your dough is remarkably dry (this can happen depending on how you measure your flour), add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until it comes together but is not wet/sticky.

Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutter to cut into gingerbread man shapes.

Using a skewer, poke 2 holes in belly area of gingerbread man (for a ribbon to be threaded through after baking). Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 7–8 minutes.

If you’re not making the cookies immediately, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate (or freeze) until you are ready to use it. Before using, bring to room temperature. You could also roll out dough and cut into desired shape and then freeze. When ready, bake frozen shaped cookies, adding a minute to cooking time.