Step 1

Cream together butter and sugar on medium high for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Step 2

Add the egg, salt, and vanilla (+ any other flavorings) and mix again on low just until combined.

Step 3

Add the cornstarch and about half of the flour. Turn the mixer on, then slowly add the remaining second half of the flour until all mixed in. It's important to measure your flour properly. I suggest weighing it, but if you don't have a food scale, be sure to spoon and level your flour and NOT pack it.

Step 4

Divide the dough into 2 and place each one in between two pieces of parchment or wax paper. Roll it out until the dough is evenly about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick, depending on your preference. (I prefer a slightly thicker cookie as they stay soft longer.) And yes, by rolling it between parchment it means you don't have to add any extra flour!

Step 5

Chill for about 20 minutes in the freezer or 1 hour in the fridge, or overnight. Dough will last in the fridge for a few days. I keep it between the pieces of parchment paper as I chill to keep the dough fresh.

Step 6

While chilling, preheat your oven to 375° F. Once dough is chilled, remove the top piece of parchment paper and begin cutting! Re-roll remaining dough and cut.

Step 7

Bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on your oven. Watch the cookie closely towards the end so they don't over brown. You know they're ready when the tops are not wet anymore and the bottoms are cooked. Ever so slightly beginning to golden on the bottom is fine, but a fully golden brown bottom is too long.

Step 8

Let them sit on the pan for a few minutes after baking, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store airtight for a few days or freeze for up to a few months!

Step 9

Using a hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat together all of the ingredients on medium high for about 5 minutes. In the beginning, once everything is combined, feel free to stop your mixer to scrape down the sides and check taste to gauge the flavoring. Turn mixer back on and towards the 5 minute mark stiff peaks should form.

Step 10

Keep covered until you're ready to use. The icing will be thick. Once you're ready to frost and color, then we add in the coloring and additional water or powdered sugar to get to the desired consistency.

Step 11

Two common consistencies for decorating are called piping and flood. Piping is great for the edges or thin designs. Flood is great for filling. If you only use one consistency, I lean towards a thick flood consistency. Piping will be the consistency of toothpaste and flooding is the consistency similar to shampoo. Once you add the coloring, add water or powdered sugar as needed to get to the desired consistency. The more you frost cookies, you will quickly learn what consistency you love. I do this on the side with a whisk. You don't have to use your big mixer every time for every color. I just start with that for the base batch.

Step 12

For icing, you can tip the cookie upside down and glaze it that way (super easy and fast). You can also use a piping bag and cut off the end. When using tips, I like using a Wilton #4 or Wilton #5 for most designs.

Step 13

The icing will store well airtight for a couple of weeks. Just remix when ready to use to freshen up.