Citrus Sugar Cookie Eggs

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl beat butter with a mixer on medium to high 30 seconds. Add sugar, orange zest, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, orange juice, vanilla, and salt until combined. Beat in flour. Divide dough into two or three portions. On a lightly floured surface roll out dough one portion at a time to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness.

Cut out egg shapes using 2- to 3-inch cookie cutters. (Dip cutters into flour to prevent sticking.) Place cutouts 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are firm but not brown. (Adjust timing for smaller and larger cookies.) Let cool on a wire rack. Decorate with icing, if desired.

For piping-consistency royal icing: Transfer about 1 cup unthinned icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small round decorating tip (No. 2 or 3).

For icing-consistency royal icing: Thin icing with warm water (4 to 5 tsp. per cup of icing). Icing should fall in ribbons from a spoon, and ribbons should disappear into icing surface in the bowl in 10 to 15 seconds. Dip cookie surface in icing; place on a wire rack to set (about 6 hours). One cup thinned icing covers about 36 (2- to 3-inch) cookies.