-
1
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
-
2
Beat the butter and both sugars in another medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.
-
3
Add the egg yolks, vanilla and orange zest mixing until fully incorporated.
-
4
Slowly add the flour mixture, and continue beating until the dough comes together, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
-
5
For rolled cookies: Roll about a tablespoon of dough by hand into a ball.
-
6
Dip 1 side of the balls into some coarse sugar and place them sugar-side-up on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving about 1-inch between cookies.
-
7
For sliced cookies: Divide dough in half, roll by hand into 2-inch-wide logs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
-
8
Cut the logs into 1/4-inch-thick cookies and place them on ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 1-inch between cookies.
-
9
For cutout cookies: Divide dough in half, pat into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
-
10
Roll dough between lightly floured parchment, or waxed paper, until about 1/3-inch thick.
-
11
Transfer sheets to a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
-
12
Cut into desired shape using a cookie cutter, place them on ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 1-inch between cookies.
-
13
(Gather the dough scraps together, pat into a disk, chill and reroll.)
-
14
Refrigerate cookies while preheating the oven to 375 degrees F, for at least 30 minutes.
-
15
Bake the cookies, until the bottoms are golden, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on shape.
-
16
Cool on sheets until firm enough to transfer to a rack to cool.
-
17
Decorate as desired and serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
-
18
Combine all the ingredients, except the food coloring, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
-
19
Mix slowly until stiff enough to form peaks.
-
20
The icing should be pure white and thick, but not fluffy and bubbly.
-
21
If the frosting is overbeaten, it will get aerated which makes it harder to work with.
-
22
If this happens, let the frosting sit to settle, then use a rubber spatula to vigorously beat and smooth out the frosting.
-
23
Alternatively, combine ingredients in a large bowl, and beat with hand beaters on low speed until the frosting thickens to stiff peaks.
-
24
Add up to 1 tablespoon food coloring and mix with a rubber spatula until the color is uniform.
-
25
(Adding too much color reduces the sheen of the frosting and can break down the consistency of the frosting over a couple of days.)
-
26
Store icing, covered, with plastic film on the surface of the icing.
