Sugar Cookie Recipe (Brittany)

Cream together shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Once combined add milk.

Roll out and cut. Cook at 350 for 10min on greased cookie sheet.

Recipe for Royal Icing

• 1 cup water
• 6 Tbsp. meringue powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (use clear vanilla if you want white icing)
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• 2 lb. bag of powdered sugar

Start by mixing the water and meringue powder in mixer until it is incorporated and slightly foamy. (1)  Then add the extracts and mix for a second.  Then add the whole bag of powdered sugar.  Mix on low until it is all incorporated.  Then on high for a few minutes.  It will become fairly stiff.  (2)Now here is tricky thing about royal icing.  For different types of techniques, you need different consistencies of icing.  For piping words and details, you want to stick with the stiff consistency that you have just made in your big bowl.  But, for other decorating, we need to thin it out a little.  You do this by adding more water, a teaspoon at a time.  I can explain this best by referring to the frosting as a #4, or #8 or #15 for instance.  The number is referring to how many seconds it takes for the icing to get smooth.  Add water, until you think it’s right.  To test it, make a blemish in your bowl, and count how long it takes for it to become (essentially) smooth.  {If you’ve thinned it too much, you can add a little more powdered sugar}