Lemon Cut-out Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Cookies

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in the butter and sugar. Mix until the two ingridients are just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add in the zest of 1 medium lemon, lemon extract, and egg. Mix until combined.
3. Add in the flour and mix on low until just combined.
4. Lay down a piece of parchment paper on the clean work surface.
5. Place the cookie dough onto the parchment paper.
6. Either place of parchment paper on top or flightly flour the surface and roll out to cookie dough to the desired thickness. I recommend about 3/8 of an inch.
7. Slip a baking sheet under the parchment paper and place in the freezer for 1 hour.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
9. Remove from the freezer and cut out the cookies with the bikini cookie cutters.
10. Place cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
11. Place the remaining dough in a ball and roll back out. Place it back in the freezer for 15 minutes.
12. Bake the cookies for 10 - 12 minutes or until done. The edges will start to be golden brown.
13. Let cool completely and then frost with royal icing.

Lemon Royal Icing

1. In a mixing bowl, add in the meringue powder and water. Whisk until it becomes frothy. I did it about 1 - 2 minutes.
2. Add in the corn syrup, powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice and lemon extract.
3. Mix on low until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and mix thoroughly.
4. Set aside about 1/3 cup of icing. Place in a disposable bag.
5. Add the lemon yellow gel paste color into the remaining icing. Stir to combine.
6. Add the icing into a disposable bag with a #2 tip. You can use a slightly bigger tip, if you have one.
7. Outline and fill the cookies in with the yellow icing.
8. Cut a very tiny hole in the tip of the white icing bag. Immediately place little dots in the filled cookies. Tap the cookies to even out the frosting.
9. Let dry about 30 minutes.
10. Add any details after the icing has crusted to help it stand out.