EXCELLENT SUGAR COOKIES & ICING

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tbsp corn syrup
1 tbsp grated lemon peel
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Beat the butter, sugar, and salt together in a large mixer bowl with mixer on medium high speed. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the egg, beating until egg is combined into the mixture. Beat in the corn syrup, lemon peel, and vanilla extract. Reduce speed again, to low this time. Add the half the flour at a time, mixing until well combined. Shape the dough into two equal disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the wrapped dough for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove one disk from the refrigerator and roll out between two sheets of waxed pape to a quarter-inch thickness. Remove the top layer of waxed paper and cut into your favorite shapes using cookie cutters that have been lightly dipped in flour. Transfer cookies to an ungreased baking sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes until light golden brown. Allow cookies to cool about a minute then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat the process with the second disk of dough.

Decorate the cookies with the following icing, if desired.

1 lb powdered sugar
6 tbsp water
3 tbsp Just Whites*

In a large mixer bowl with the mixer at low speed, beat the Just Whites and powdered sugar. Add the water nd beat until blended. Increase the mixer speed to high and continue to beat for another 8 minutes or until thick and white. Remove any amount of icing you want to color to a small bowl or bowls. Add desired food color or colors and mix just until blended. Thin the remaining icing with additional teaspoons of water until the consistency resembles slightly whipped cream. Spead the thinned icing over the cookies and let dry completely. Transfer the colored icing to a pastry bag or bags, attach appropriate tips for decorating and decorate the cookies as desired.

*Just whites is found in the dairy aisle at major grocery stores. It is with the eggs.

This is a Food Network photo.