Easy patriotic sugar cookies

Preparation

Baking Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make and bake the cookie dough.

In a stand mixer or bowl with a hand mixer cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the egg, milk, almond extract and continue to blend until smooth.

Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into the creamed butter and blend well on low.

Roll dough into a ball and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Pour a bit of sugar into a bowl and remove dough from the refrigerator.

Make into 24 even balls and roll each in the sugar, then place them one inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet*.

With the palm of your hand gently press each ball into a thick disc.

Bake until cookies are just set and lightly golden on the edge, about 10-12 minutes.

Allow to completely cool on a rack.

Make the icing.

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, milk and lemon extract until smooth.

Divide and scoop icing into 3 separate sealable plastic bags.

In one bag add a drop or two of red food coloring, in the next add a drop or two of blue food coloring, and leave the final bag white.

Re-seal all the bags and massage the food color into the icing.

If more food coloring is needed, add it a drop at a time.

Clip a tiny hole in the corner of each bag and decorate each cookie however you please.

I prefer to place them all on parchment and randomly decorate them from above one color at a time.

*If using cookie cutters, refrigerate dough and use powdered sugar to roll it out on a flat surface to about 1/4-inch thick then dip cutters into powdered sugar before cutting out each shape.