Cream the soft butter with the sugar until the combination is smooth not grainy to the touch in a mixing bowl.

Add all 4 eggs at one time…Continue to mix. -Add the vanilla.. Continue mixing.

Sift the four, baking powder, and salt together.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture.

Continue mixing to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Make the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling wrap completely covering the entire dough ball.

Put in the refrigerator for about 6 hours or overnight. Check to see if the dough is firm.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pull the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and sit it out to soften up a bit.

Put flour out on the wood cutting board, rub flour on the rolling pin, and work some flour into the batter.

Roll the dough out on the cutting board and using your round cookie cutter begin to make your cookies.

Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Using a metal spatula move the cut cookie to the parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes. Check to see if the cookie are thoroughly baked.

Take the cookies off of the cookie sheet and put on a wire rack to cool completely. (About 10 minutes).

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes. (except your food coloring)

If icing is not stiff enough add 1/4 C powder sugar.

Leave icing in large bowl. Add several drops of black gel food coloring mixing well.

Spoon the icing into a frosting bag with a #5 tip…. twist the open end of the bag to push the icing to the tip.

Follow the colors and accent colors as displayed on each cookie.

First step for each cookie is to outline them .

Allow the icing outline at least 30 seconds to dry before filling the body of the cookie in with the other icing*. ( After outlining all of these cookies you squeeze some the remaining icing into a bowl and add the 1 tsp of water and mix well to get the right consistency .) Leave some of the icing in the frosting bag for additional accent work on each of the cookies. Using a butter knife to spread it from the outlined part inwards to the center.

Using either the cookie or an example from Google to use as your pattern for the faces on the iced cookies.

Begin by outlining the eyes first then fill them in. Make two small lines for the nose. For each of the mouths mark the long line curved first then add the small markings for the stitches.

Set these aside and allow to completely dry about 5+ hours.