Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. In a smaller bowl, pour ½ cup sugar; set aside.
Beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. Add in the egg and molasses and beat until combined. Slowly add in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.
Use a small ice cream scoop and scoop up about 1 Tablespoon of cookie dough. Roll into a ball and roll balls in bowl of sugar to coat.
Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges of cookies are just firm, 10 to 15 minutes (cookies can be baked two sheets at a time, but they will not crackle uniformly). Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely.