Various Recipes for Cookies and Frosting Cookies -

SIMPLE BUTTER COOKIES
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp grated lemon or orange rind
May be made with mixer or in a food processor.
Cream the butter; add sugar gradually. Blend together until light and creamy, beat in the eggs. Add the flour and grated citrus rind. Stir until blended.
For molded cookies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Press the dough into ungreased cookie mold/s and bake for 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are just light brown. Remove from the molds while still hot.
For pastry bag or cut-out cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.
Note: To make the cut-out cookies, chill dough until chilled enough to roll out.
LEMON BUTTER COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp lemon zest
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Using a heavy-duty mixer, beat the butter with the lemon zest at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating well.
Combine the flour and salt together and gradually add to the above mixture, beating until blended. Shape the dough into a disc.
Roll out to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured smooth surface. Cut with cookie cutters and place cookies a half inch apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
Bake cookies at 325 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate as desired using the Royal Icing and Colorful Glaze (both recipes follow).
Yield: 2 to 4 dozen cookies depending on the size of the cookie cutters you use.
ROYAL ICING:
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp meringue powder
1/4 cup cold water
Food coloring paste, colors of your choice
Beat the powdered sugar, meringue powder, and cold water at high-speed with electric mixer (use whisk attachment if you have one) until glossy and stiff peaks form. Put in food coloring to tint to color desired (Remember food coloring goes a long way!); beat until blended in. Place a damp tea towel directly over the surface of the icing to prevent a crust from forming while you use.
COLORFUL GLAZE:
1 pkg (1-lb) powdered sugar
6 tbsp water
food coloring paste
Stir the water into the powdered sugar and add food coloring as desired. Stir mixture until well blended. Use to frost the cookies.
Note: The glaze is best for frosting and the royal icing is best for the piping and decorating