Sift the flour,
cinnamon, cloves, and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until
creamy.
Add the egg yolk, beating until just
blended. Mix in the dry ingredients and enough
milk to form a soft dough.
Press the dough into a
disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30
minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4. Butter a cookie sheet. Roll out the dough on a
lightly floured surface to thickness of 1/2 inch
(1-cm).
Use a 2-inch (5-cm) cookie cutter to cut
out the cookies. Gather the dough scraps, re-roll,
and continue cutting out cookies until all the dough
is used.
Use a sharp knife to mark a cross on top
of each cookie. Use a spatula to transfer the
cookies to the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for
10-15 minutes, or until deep golden. Transfer to
racks to cool.