1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

2. Add the butter to a small skillet over medium-low heat and stir frequently until the butter turns a light shade of brown. Pour the warm butter to a heatproof bowl and whisk in the ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and cayenne. Allow the mixture to cool for about 2 minutes, then stir in the brown sugar, molasses and fresh ginger. Then dd the egg and egg yolk and whisk to combine. Finally, slowly stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 300F. Line two baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Pinch the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in the granulated sugar then place them on a baking sheet 1-inch apart. I fit about 20 balls per baking sheet.

4. Bake each sheet for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheet to allow it to bake for another 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. To make the buttercream: Beat the butter until very soft and fluffy. Set aside. In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water add the egg whites and sugar and warm through until a candy thermometer registers 160F. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the egg white mixture until it forms stiff peaks. Slowly add in the butter until completely smooth, followed by the caramel. 6. Spread the buttercream between each cookie and serve.