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1
Cream the butter and sugar.
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2
Add the egg and beat until fluffy.
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3
Blend in the vanilla.
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4
Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing until just combined.
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5
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
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6
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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7
On a floured surface, roll half of the dough to 1/8-inch thick.
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8
Use a ghost cookie cutter, or you can use a small knife to cut the dough into freeform ghost shapes, as shown.
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9
Gather and reroll scraps.
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10
Continue with remaining dough.
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11
Place the cookies on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, until just turning golden.
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12
Do not allow cookies to brown.
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13
When the cookies are completely cool, cover them with white royal icing and press chocolate chips into the icing to make eyes (and a mouth if desired).
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14
Let the icing dry before stacking the cookies.
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15
With beaters or a standing mixer, whip the egg white and lemon juice until frothy.
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16
At medium speed, beat in the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until the mixture is thick but still liquid enough to beat.
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17
Then beat on high until the mixture is thick and glossy, about 3 minutes.
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18
Cover the surface with plastic wrap while waiting to use it.
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19
Royal icing will set to a firm, glossy finish when applied to a cookie.
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20
The icing can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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21
*RAW EGG WARNING
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22
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness.
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23
To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.
