Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and slightly softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 whole scraped vanilla pod)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted twice
  • 3 tbsp meringue powder
  • 6–8 tbsp warm water (for consistency adjustment)
  • 1 tsp clear vanilla extract
  • Gel paste food colouring (as needed)

Instructions:

  1. Cream wet ingredients: In the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the slightly softened butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy (about 3–4 minutes). Scrape down the sides.
  2. Add flavour: Beat in the egg, vanilla bean paste, and lemon zest until just combined.
  3. Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
  4. Mix dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, mixing on low speed until just combined. Stop immediately when no dry streaks remain. Over-mixing develops gluten and makes the cookies tough.
  5. Chill: Divide the dough into two flat discs, wrap tightly in cling film, and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, or preferably overnight. This step prevents the cookies from spreading in the oven.
  6. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line baking trays with parchment paper.
  7. Roll Dough: Remove one disc of dough. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll using ¼-inch rolling guides until uniformly thick.
  8. Cut Shapes: Quickly cut out shapes using your cutters. Reroll scraps only once or twice, chilling briefly if the dough becomes too soft.
  9. Bake: Transfer the cut-outs to the prepared baking tray. Bake for 10–12 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through, until the edges are very lightly golden and the centre is set (they should not be deeply browned).
  10. Cool: Allow cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
  11. Prepare Icing Base: Sieve the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder together. Add the warm water (start with 6 tbsp) and clear vanilla. Beat on high speed for 5–7 minutes until the icing is stiff, glossy, and holds sharp peaks.
  12. Divide and Thin: Divide the stiff icing into separate bowls for different colors. Keep 1/3 stiff (Piping Icing). Thin the remaining icing (Flooding Icing) by adding water, ½ tsp at a time, until it reaches '10-second consistency'.
  13. Decorate (Outline): Load the stiff icing into piping bags. Outline the cookie edges and any internal decorative borders. Allow the outlines to dry for 10–15 minutes.
  14. Decorate (Flood): Fill the outlined area with the thinned (flooding) icing using a squeeze bottle or spoon. Use a toothpick to gently push the icing to the edges and pop any air bubbles.
  15. Dry: Allow the flooded cookies to set at room temperature for at least 1–3 hours before adding detailed piping or stacking.