Iced Sugar Cookies

1) In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy and add one half of the sugar, beat, then add the rest. Add two eggs and beat. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Add the remaining three eggs and vanilla, beat until nicely incorporated.
2) Lightly measure out flour into a separate mixing bowl. Add baking powder and salt, whisk until blended.
3) Add half of the flour mixture to the egg/butter mixture and beat well. Add remaining flour and blend until all ingredients are incorporated.
4) Shape into a large ball and wrap in plastic wrap, then put into a large zip bag. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.
5) When ready to bake, allow dough to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Have cooling racks ready to receive hot cookies.
6) Cut off a chunk of the dough and begin working with your hands to make it pliable enough to roll out on a floured surface. Roll to 1/8″ thickness. Cut out with your favorite pumpkin shaped cutter and place on prepared sheets, leaving at least 1″ of space between cookies. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Cool for five minutes before removing from cookie sheet onto a rack. Makes 5 1/2 dozen cookies. Cool completely before icing.

For the icing:

1) Measure powdered sugar into a medium size mixing bowl. Add vanilla and 6 tablespoons of water. Mix well until there are no lumps. Add additional water by the teaspoon to get a smooth spreadable consistency.
2) Remove a couple of tablespoons of icing and put into a very small bowl. Using a toothpick, add a small amount of green food coloring and mix well. Add the orange food coloring to the rest of the icing, mix well. Add more if you want a more vibrant orange.
3) Ice each cookie with the orange icing and add decorations to each cookie as you ice. Add the green icing to the stems at the very end, after you’ve completed icing with the orange. Allow cookies to air dry.

Icing tips:

*Cover the icing with a damp towel when you’re not using to keep it from drying out.
*If the icing is running off the cookie because it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time, mixing between until the consistency is thicker.
*Have all decorations ready to go in small bowls so that when you ice the cookie, you can immediately put the eyes and smile on the cookie.
*Allow to air dry several hours or overnight. The icing will set up and you won’t have to worry about messing them up when packaging. These cookies travel very well but do not last long!