You'll bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F, but there's chill time so no need to turn it on right away. Line a couple of insulated baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg, orange juice, and vanilla, beat well.
Add the flour and baking powder and stir to blend.
To make piped cookies:
Fill a 16-inch piping bag fitted with a large open star piping tip - we used a Wilton 1M. Pipe dough into rounds on prepared baking sheets.
For slice and bake:
Roll the dough into a tube and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Slice tube into rounds and bake.
For cookie cutter shapes:
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours or until firm. Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thick and cut with cookie cutters.
To bake:
Bake 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely before frosting.
To decorate per photos:
Melt 10-12 oz chopped chocolate or chocolate melts (Ghirardelli makes them in both chocolate and white chocolate) in a microwave safe bowl on 50% power in 20 second intervals until melted and smooth.
Dip half the cookie in the melted chocolate allowing the excess to drip off. Place on parchment lined sheets and sprinkle with nonpareils, colored sugar, or sprinkles.
Notes
Optional ingredients are not counted in the nutritional analysis.
These cookies spread a bit, so if you want the designs a bit firmer, pipe the cookies with the dough at room temp onto a parchment lined serving platter or large dish/plate. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so before baking. Then remove the cold cookies to a room temperature cookie sheet and bake.
Alternatively, you can roll out the dough and use cookie cutters, or chill it into a tube and then slice and bake.
Softened butter means you should take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before using it. You don't want it too soft.
Use GOOD quality better for the best tasting cookies.
Use a good quality chocolate or one made specifically for melting and dipping.