Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Instructions:

For the Sugar Cookies:

1. Preheat the Oven:

• • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Cream Butter and Sugar:

• • In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add Egg and Vanilla:

• • Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until well combined.

4. Combine Dry Ingredients:

• • In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

5. Add Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredients:

• • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the dough comes together.

6. Chill the Dough:

• • Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilled dough is easier to roll and holds its shape better.

7. Roll and Cut:

• • Preheat your oven again to 350°F. Roll out one disc of chilled dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets.

8. Bake:

• • Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For Decorating:

1. Prepare Royal Icing:

• • If you haven't already, prepare royal icing using the recipe and instructions provided earlier.

2. Color the Icing:

• • Tint some of the royal icing with orange food coloring. You can use gel coloring for a more vibrant color.

3. Decorate the Cookies:

• • Once the cookies are completely cooled, use a piping bag or a small spatula to spread the orange icing over each cookie, leaving the stem area blank.

4. Add Stems:

• • If using pre-made brown icing, or if coloring a small portion of royal icing brown, pipe or spread a small stem at the top of each pumpkin.

5. Let Icing Set:

• • Allow the icing to set before storing or serving the cookies. This might take a few hours or overnight, depending on the icing consistency.