Sugar Cookies

1.c sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sour cream
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 2/3 c. flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cream first four ingredients and then add rest. If the dough is a bit gooey stick it in the fridge for a bit. Roll out the dough to about a 1/4" to 1/2" thickness. Use powder sugar instead of flour, it doesn't dry out the cookies as bad. Place a sheet of parchment paper on your cookie sheet and bake the cookies @ 425 degrees for about 6 to 8 minutes, watch for them to brown just around the edges.

Royal Icing
4 c. powder sugar
2 Tbs. meringue powder
5 Tbs. water

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl you can put a lid on because it will start hardening immediately. When you first mix the icing it will be really thick. Little by little add water to the icing until it gets to your desired thickness.

To decorate with royal icing, divide the frosting and make a thick and a thin batch. Use the thick batch to pipe an outline and then pipe the thinner frosting in the center of the cookie and let it flood to the outline. This takes lots of practice (sometimes I think it is just easier to leave it a little thicker and use a knife to put it on and then pipe on details :) )!