Ruler Sugar Cookies – Back to School

• Preheat oven to 350
• Sift flour, soda, salt, nutmeg and powder in a bowl.
• In separate bowl cream the butter and sugar (use cookie paddles or dough hook this will get thick)
• Add the egg and beat again
• then add the vanilla and sour cream and beat it smooth
• Mix in dry ingredients and beat smooth - it will be thick.
• wrap up in wax paper or parchment paper and chill in fridge for 3-4 hours
• preheat oven to 350
• roll out to 1/4 inch cut into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches x 5 inches
• bake for 12 mins, until the edges get a slight golden color to them (don't over bake) let cool

Royal Icing

• In a mixer mix the powdered sugar and meringue powder, then add the water
• beat for 7-10 mins on medium speed, until it's smooth and glossy
• Separate into two bowls, one with about 4 C and one with 1/2 C in the other
• place plastic wrap down on top, touching the frosting, so it doesn't dry out

Decorating

• Dye the larger bowl of royal icing yellow
• in a piping bag with a number 4 tip pipe a rectangle outline on each cookie
• thin down the royal icing with a little water (do a 1/4 tsp at a time), when you mix it it should smooth out again at the count of 10 (don't add too much)
• pipe the runnier icing into the outline and shake smooth, using a sharp pin if needed to pop bubbles or move the icing around a little
• let crust and dry
• Take the 1/2 C of icing and add a little bit of cocoa powder, like 1 tsp, stir smooth, then add some black powder or gel dye, until your happy with the color.
• if it's too thick add a little bit of water, like a few DROPS at a time until it will pipe smoothly from a tip 3 or 4
• add plastic wrap down the center of the cookie to use as a guide and then pipe the short lines, in groups of 4 down the side of the ruler
• moving the plastic wrap back add the longer lines between the shorter groups of 4