Shamrock Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies:

1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup of sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond flavour, optional

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Stir in flour. This is a lovely, super easy recipe.

Royal Icing: This is a little more challenging. You will need to use a hand mixer!

2 egg whites
1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 1/2 cups or more confectioners (icing) sugar

Whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks, they should be still wet but hold a shape well. Add lemon juice and start adding the sugar with a sifter, about two tablespoons at a time. Make sure to mix well in between. At first it will look glossy like meringue, it will start to get thicker and thicker and start to turn less glossy. Once the icing is matte it is finished. Do not add any more sugar or it will be next to impossible to mix and work with.