Bring the butter to room temperature. If using frozen ginger paste, bring to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cardamom, clove, and salt.

Chop the crystalized ginger finely. Grate the fresh ginger-root if needed.

Place the brown sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. beat on low speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the molasses, egg, and fresh ginger and beat on medium for 1 minute. Add the crystalized ginger and stir briefly to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl in batches and beat until well combined.

With a 2 teaspoon sized scoop, drop onto parchment-lined sheet pans about 2 inches apart. Bake on the middle rack for about 12 minutes for slightly chewy cookies or 15 minutes for more crisp cookies. Rotate the pan halfway through cooking

Remove from oven and allow the cookies to stay on the sheetpan for 30 seconds before transferring to a wire rack to cool completley. Repeat with all the dough. Store finished cookies in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

If desired, you can scoop and freeze the cookie dough on a sheet pan. Once frozen, place the balls in a bag to store. Bake directly from the freezer, just as above.