Cream butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg and vanilla together in a mixer bowl. 

Add flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and pepper. 

Mix well. Dough will be very sticky. 

Divide dough in half and wrap each in plastic wrap. 

Refrigerate overnight. 

Remove from refrigerator onto a well floured board. Sprinkle a bit of flour over the top of the dough and onto the rolling pin. 

Preheat oven to 350°.

Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. You may need to add more flour to the board or the top of the dough as you roll it. If the dough cracks just press it back together with your fingers. 

Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter or your favorite shape to cut into cookies. 

Press the scraps of dough back together and roll again to cut out more shapes until you have used all of the dough. 

Place on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. 

Bake for about 10 minutes or until cookies are browned around the edges.

Cool on a wire rack before decorating with icing.