Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon lemon or almond extract

Royal icing

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons meringue powder

5-8 tablespoons warm water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Food coloring, optional

Sprinkles, optional

For the cookies: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk; set aside.

Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Stir in extracts.

Add flour mixture all at once and mix on low until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Form dough into a 2-inch thick disk, wrap in plastic and chill for about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Roll chilled dough on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thick. Cut out shapes with floured cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are pale brown. Slide parchment paper off sheet trays onto wire cooling racks and cool completely before decorating.

For the icing: Combine powdered sugar, meringue powder and 5 tablespoons warm water in a stand mixer; mix on low 7-10 minutes until peaks form. Stir in vanilla extract. Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is the consistency of a thick glaze. Tint with food coloring, adding it a few drops at a time, until desired color is achieved.

Place cooled cookies on a wire rack placed over parchment paper for easy clean up and glaze each cookie. Add other embellishments as desired.

Makes three dozen.

Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva