Prep. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Stir in the applesauce.
Add dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just blended.
Drop and sprinkle. Using a spoon, drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. The dough will appear wet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake and cool. Place in the oven and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.