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1
Sift first 7 ingredients into medium bowl.
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2
Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy.
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3
Add sugar and beat until well blended.
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4
Beat in molasses, egg yolk, orange peel, and vanilla.
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5
Add flour mixture and beat just until blended.
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6
Gather dough into ball.
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7
Divide into 4 pieces.
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8
Flatten each into disk.
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9
Wrap each in plastic and chill until cold and firm, at least 4 hours.
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10
Position racks in top third and bottom third of oven and preheat to 350F.
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11
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
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12
Roll out 1 piece of dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness.
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13
Using 2 1/2- to 3-inch star-shaped cutter, cut out cookies.
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14
Transfer cookies to prepared sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart (cookies spread very little).
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15
Gather scraps and reroll dough, cutting out more cookies.
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16
Bake cookies 5 minutes.
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17
Reverse baking sheets; bake until cookies are puffed and look slightly darker around edges, about 5 minutes longer.
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18
Cool cookies on sheets 2 minutes.
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19
Using thin metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks; cool.
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20
Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
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21
Sift 1 1/2 cups sugar into medium bowl.
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22
Add 5 teaspoons water and vanilla; whisk until smooth.
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23
Whisk in more sugar by tablespoonfuls, if necessary, until icing falls thickly off whisk.
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24
Spoon icing into pastry bag fitted with 1/16-inch plain round tip or resealable plastic bag (cut tip off bag).
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25
Pipe icing onto cookies.
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26
Let stand until icing is hard, at least 3 hours.
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27
(Can be made 2 days ahead.
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28
Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper.)
