1. In a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, then add the egg, molasses and vanilla and mix until combined.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together and slowly add to the mixer. Mix until everything is well combined.
3. Cover your dough and place it in the fridge for at least an hour until it’s firm enough to work with.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
6. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place the cookies onto the baking sheet.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes

Royal icing: 

1. Mix the powdered sugar, egg whites and vanilla extract together in a stand mixer until smooth and shiny.
2. Slowly add the water, one tsp at a time until your icing drizzles off a spoon and holds for a few seconds before melting back into the icing. (If it’s too thick, add some more water. If it’s too thin, add some more icing sugar.)
3. Use a piping bag to pipe the icing onto your cookies.