Emily Laurae

Sugar Cookie Dough 
2 Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.
3 Cream the butter and sugar together for 3-5 minutes
4 Add the eggs while mixing making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding vanilla extract. 
5 Add dry ingredients in two parts, mixing until combined.
20 Wrap dough in plastic and allow to chill in the fridge for 20-40 minutes.
18 Roll out dough onto a floured surface and cut out your cookie shapes using the cookie cutters of your choosing 
8 Place cut cookies in the freezer while preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
19 Bake cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment for 10 minutes -you don't want to brown these cookies at all. Once you see even a hint of browning it's time to take them out of the oven!
25 Allow to cool for 3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then place cookies on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.  
Royal Icing
21 In a large bowl of a stand mixer combine the egg whites and vanilla and beat until frothy. 
22 Add powdered sugar gradually and mix at low speed until sugar is incorporated and the mixture is shiny. 
15 Turn speed up to high and beat until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. This should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes. 
26 Add food coloring, if desired and hot water if you would like to thin out your icing! For immediate use, transfer icing to a pastry bag or a heavy-duty storage bag and pipe as desired. 
24 Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.