Lemon Star Cookies

Instructions

1. In a medium to large bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter with sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
4. With the mixer running, slowly add the flour mixture until combined.
5. Place the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about an hour or less to firm it up so that it can be rolled. If left refrigerated too long, it will become too hard to roll and will need to soften a bit at room temperature.
6. While the dough is chilling, make the icing.
7. Place the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until light and fluffy.
8. Alternate adding confectioners sugar and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. You may not need all of the lemon juice.
9. With the mixer running, drizzle in the vanilla then beat to combine into a smooth liquidy icing.
10. Remove one cup of the icing and mix with the yellow food coloring and set aside. Set the remaining icing aside as well.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
12. Flour a piece of parchment and place half the dough in the center. Flour the top and flatten with your hands, dust with flour again then place a second piece of parchment over the top.
13. Using a rolling pin, roll to ¼ inch thick over the top of the parchment.
14. Remove top parchment and set aside to use on the second half.
15. Using a 2 ½ inch star cookie cutter, press into the dough and make as many as you can. Pull away the extra scraps and set aside then pick up each star and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Place as many as you can on each sheet, as they do not spread.
16. Bake eight minutes and remove from oven.
17. Slip parchment onto cooling racks.
18. Repeat for second half of dough.
19. Roll up scraps and repeat with more stars. Keep reusing scraps until you have none left. The dough does not get tough if reused.
20. After all 52 have baked and cooled, set up a sheet tray with a rack and begin dipping each cookie face down into the icing only covering the top, then invert onto the rack. Repeat for all 52.
21. Place the one cup of the yellow icing into a small pastry bag with a small tip cut off the end and drizzle over the tops of each cookie.
22. Let sit uncovered until complexly set and no longer wet, about 3-4 hours. (Don’t cover pans with plastic until they are completely dry.) Once set, then you can stack them or cover them or store them without them sticking to each other.