How to prepare:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.

2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined.

5. Divide dough into quarters, form each quarter into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).7. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6-8 mm) thick.

7. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6-8 mm) thick.

8. Cut into shapes with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets.

9. Bake 10 - 12 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

10. Make up a batch of royal icing, pick your icing colours, and divide the icing into as many bowls as colours. Stir in the colouring to each bowl until you've achieved your desired colour.

11. Decorate your cookies with the royal icing. Be creative and have fun!

Check out all our Royal Icing Decorating Tutorials:

• Outlining
• Flooding
• Marbling
• Feathering