1. For the cookies, preheat oven to 350˚. Line two baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.

2. Beat softened butter with a whisk until soft and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth and creamy.

3. Add flour and salt. Mix with a sturdy spatula or large whisk, just until all flour is incorporated. Make sure there’s not dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.

4. Place dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk. Wrap well and chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

5. Remove dough and unwrap. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough about ⅜- inch thick (see notes above and video).

6. Cut into shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter. Gather scraps into a ball, preroll and cut more cookies. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. (This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape better when baked.) Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned at the edges. Cool on a wire rack.

7. For the glaze, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon or almond extract and 3 tablespoons of the milk in a medium large bowl. Mix well and add more milk, one teaspoon at a time until a thick but drizzle-able glaze is formed. Transfer half of the glaze to a small bowl. With a toothpick, add a small amount of red and blue gel food coloring and swirl it just a bit. Don’t swirl too much or the icing will become murky. Use a light hand with the gel food coloring. A little goes a long way!

8. Dip one cookie at a time into the glaze. Let the cookie sit on the top of the glaze and gently push down at all the edges to ensure the surface of the cookie is covered with the glaze. With your thumb and forefinger, pull the cookie out of the glaze and allow the excess icing to drip off into a separate bowl. Then quickly flip the cookie right side up and give it a gentle jiggle to allow the glaze to flow evenly over the surface. Repeat with remaining cookies. (See video above for demonstration of this technique>)

9. Add more of the white glaze to the bowl when needed. Repeat adding more gel coloring as needed.

10. For storing, see Café Tips above.