Decorated Shortbread Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter soft
• 1 7/16 cups icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 vanilla pod
• 3 7/16 cups flour
• salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 5 1/8 ounces meringue powder or egg white powder
• 4 3/4 tablespoons warm water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or preferred flavor

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Whip the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and vanilla seeds (split the pod in half and scrape the inside with the tip of a knife).
3. Stir in the flour gradually.
4. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour.
5. Once the dough forms into a ball (do not over-knead the dough to avoid making it elastic), roll out on a floured surface and cut out with cookie cutters.
6. Bake about 8 to 10 minutes until the cookies are barely browned.
7. Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk. Mix on medium speed, gradually adding water and vanilla extract.
8. If coloring is desired, add food dye now.
9. Whip for 8 to 10 minutes. Set icing aside in cling film (in contact with the icing) and cool. The icing can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator, which is why meringue powder is used instead of fresh egg white, to
10. reduce the risk of salmonellosis.
11. Once cooled, decorate the cookies. Start with the cookie's contours using a piping bag.
12. Once the cookies with contours are done, fill in contours using a small spoon.
13. Doing the edges of the cooky is a bit of a long task, but necessary in order to have beautifully and cleanly decorated shortbread cookies.
14. Cookies will keep for several days in an airtight container.

butter, icing sugar, egg, vanilla pod, flour, salt, baking powder, icing sugar, meringue powder, water, vanilla

Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/Decorated-Shortbread-Cookies-898613 (may not work)