Umbrella Sugar Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and reserved
• Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 large egg
• Small-Batch Royal Icing (recipe follows)
• Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling
• 2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 7 1/2 teaspoons meringue powder
• 1/4 cup water

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. Put butter, granulated and confectioners sugars, vanilla seeds, and zest into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
3. Mix in egg.
4. Reduce speed to low.
5. Add flour mixture in 3 batches; mix until combined.
6. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of lightly floured parchment paper to 1/8 inch thick.
7. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.
8. Remove parchment.
9. Using a 3-inch umbrella cutter, cut out shapes.
10. Chill in freezer until dough is very firm, about 15 minutes.
11. Reroll scraps, cut out, and chill in same manner.
12. Preheat oven to 375F.
13. Space cookies 2 inches apart on parchment paperlined baking sheets.
14. Bake until pale golden, 5 to 6 minutes.
15. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
16. Transfer icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip, such as Ateco #2.
17. Decorate each cookie with icing, and then immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar.
18. Let set, about 2 hours.
19. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
20. Put confectioners sugar, meringue powder, and water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on low speed 10 minutes.
21. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container up to 2 days (icing hardens quickly when exposed to air).
22. Beat well with a rubber spatula before using.

flour, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, sugar, confectioners sugar, vanilla bean, lemon, egg, batch, sanding sugar, confectioners sugar, meringue powder, water

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/umbrella-sugar-cookies-389299 (may not work)