Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper or silpat baking mats.

Add the butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and apple butter to a large bowl and whisk until well-combined. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes (the dough will stiffen as it chills).

Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.

After the dough is chilled, use a 1.5-tablespoon scoop to measure out the dough. Roll it into balls, and roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar twice. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking trays.

Bake until the cookies are golden along the outside and on the bottom, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the trays once halfway through. Note that the cookies will puff up when they’re done baking, but then deflate and have a crackly top when they’re cooled.

Let the cookies cool, and then remove from the trays.