Soft Iced Sugar Cookies (Edit recipe)

Make the dough

1. In a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), cream together sugar and shortening on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts, mixing until fully incorporated.
3. Pour in the buttermilk and mix on low speed until just combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, about 1/3 at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms. Tip: The dough will be on the softer side, but it should be thick enough to hold together if formed into a ball. It will firm up with refrigeration.
6. Divide dough in half, shape each portion into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

Roll out and bake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats (optional).
2. Lightly flour your countertop and roll one disc of dough to about u00bc-inch thickness.
3. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and carefully transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving a bit of space between each cookie. Repeat with the second disc of dough. Gather scraps and roll out, until all dough is used. You might need to add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if dough gets sticky. Just knead it into the scrap dough.
4. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until edges are set but not browned. Cookies should look slightly pale when you pull them out; they will continue to bake as they cool.
5. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Make royal icing and decorate

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add pasteurized egg whites and almond extract. Whisk on low speed for about 10-15 seconds until frothy.
2. With the mixer on low, gradually add sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until all is incorporated. Scrape down the sides as needed.
3. Increase speed to medium and beat until the icing is smooth, glossy, and thick enough to hold soft peaks (about 2 to 3 minutes). Check consistency: Dip a spoon into the icing; it should slowly ribbon off and hold its shape for a few seconds before smoothing out. If itu2019s too thick, add a few drops of water at a time. If itu2019s too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
4. Divide icing into bowls and color with gel food coloring, if desired.
5. Transfer to piping bags (or use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off) and decorate cooled cookies.