Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated white sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1.5 tsp (7.5ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp (2.5ml) almond extract
  • 2.5 cups (312g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp (16g) cornstarch
  • 0.5 tsp (3g) fine sea salt
  • 4 cups (500g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tbsp (30g) meringue powder
  • 8 tbsp (120ml) warm water
  • 1 tsp gel food coloring (Gold, Black, or Midnight Blue)
  • 1 tbsp edible gold stars or sprinkles

Instructions:

  1. Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract until fully incorporated.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and fine sea salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed, mixing only until white streaks disappear.
  3. Turn the dough onto plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the gluten to relax and the fats to solidify.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to a consistent 1/4-inch (6mm) thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut festive shapes, rerolling scraps as needed.
  5. Place shapes on parchment-lined baking sheets with 1 inch of space between them. Bake for 9–11 minutes until the tops look matte and the bottom edges are barely golden.
  6. Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Cookies must be completely cool before decorating.
  7. Whisk powdered sugar, meringue powder, and warm water together to create royal icing. Tint with gel colors and pipe onto cooled cookies, finishing with edible gold stars.