• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and the extract and beat to incorporate. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
• Divide the dough into 2 portions and roll to 3/8" thick in between 2 sheets of parchment paper and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
• Remove the dough and cut your desired shape. Place the formed cookies back in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Take the scraps and re roll them to 3/8" in the parchment paper and re chill before cutting out again.
• Preheat oven to 350 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Bake your cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet (resist the urge to add parchment. These don't make a mess, but the parchment can cause spreading) for 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your cookie. (Mine were done in 9.5 minutes)
• Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
• Cool completely before icing.

Royal Icing Cookie Glaze

• If your meringue powder does not have any vanilla flavor in it, you can add a teaspoon of CLEAR vanilla.
• In a mixer bowl, pour the warm water and the meringue powder in and whisk for about 30 seconds until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and whisk for another 30 seconds. Pour all of the sugar in at once and place on the mixer.
• Using your paddle attachment, on the lowest speed, mix slowly for 10 full minutes.
• Icing will be thick and creamy (like Elmer's Glue). Cover the bowl the a damp cloth to prevent drying and crusting.
• If you find the icing too thick, you can thin it by adding in water by the Tablespoon.
• TIP: To test, lift your paddle attachment. Watch the ribbon of icing fall back into the bowl of icing. It should disappear before the count of 10. If it doesn't add a little water at a time until it does.