COOKIES

• Preheat the oven to 350-360°F (180°).

• Line your baking trays with parchment paper.

• Cut the butter into small chunks and start creaming it with the sugar, until it has become smooth and turned into a whiter color.

• Add the flour and the powdered sugar and let it combine until it starts turning into a dough texture. Make sure to scrape off the bottom and side of the bowl to incorporate everything. Once, it is ready the mixture will have turned into a ball and pull away from the bowl. However, if you feel its taking too long to loosen itself from the bowl, take it off by hand and knead it, add a flour until you find the right consistency to roll it out.

• However, keep in mind if there is some ingredients stuck to the bowl make sure to scrape them off with a spatula and add them as you take the ball of dough out and kneed in.

• Then, with a rolling pin roll a chunk of the dough out into about 1/4 inch thick and use your cookie cutters to cut into shapes, and repeat until you have used all of the dough.

• As you go, add your cookies to your lined baking trays and put into the oven for about 12-16min. Keep in mind that the newer your oven is the less time it might take for your cookies to be ready.

• Finally, once they are cooked let them cool, once they are no longer hot you can start decorating them.

• These cookies can be left at a cool room temperature for a long time without getting ruined.

ROYAL ICING FROSTING

TIP: When making frosting the amount of milk and vanilla depends on the consistency you are looking for, so its recommend to add it gradually until you find the right thickness and taste.

• Add half of the sugar onto a bowl.

• Add the vanilla and gradually add  the tbsps of milk until it has turned into a liquid consistency, don't let it get too runny, because it will be harder to give it a good consistency after.

• Once it's a liquid try the flavor if its too sweet this is when you add the salt, if the amount of salt is too little you can add more until it reaches a flavor you like.

• Now start adding the other half of the sugar gradually until you reach a consistency you like.

• If it gets too thick and you still have sugar left add more milk and play with the ingredients until you reach a consistency and flavor you like.

• However, the best royal icing for decorating these cookies is when the consistency is at it's thickest but still a liquid you can stir with a spatula.

• Once, you have reached the perfect consistency you were aiming for separate the icing into different bowls to add food coloring to make a variety of colors.

• Then, pack all the colors unto plastic bags, and tie them making sure not to leave air inside.

• Finally, the colors are ready for frosting by opening a tiny hole on a tip.

• These frostings can NOT be left at a cool room temperature for a long time, because they can get ruined.