To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Beat on medium high for about 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.

Add in the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract (if using), then beat again until incorporated (don’t worry if it looks a little curdled). Add in the flour and salt, then mix on low until combined - the dough will be soft.

Using a spatula, scrape / dump the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. With well floured hands, form into a ball and then gently press into a disc about 6 inches wide. Wrap tightly, then chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼ inch in thickness. Cut out the dough with cookie cutters and place on the prepared baking sheet about 1 to 1 ½ inches apart (they won’t spread much during baking). Repeat with all the dough scraps.

Bake for about 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges are completely set and ever so lightly browned.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons of the water, the vanilla extract and almond extract until smooth. Add additional water to thin out the icing or add extra confectioners’ sugar to thicken it up (if you want to pipe on the icing make it thicker versus thinner if you want more of a glaze - adjust to you).

Add food coloring to the icing if using, then decorate the cookies as desired.

Enjoy the cookies right away or let them sit for about 24 hours for the icing to set and harden up (no need to cover them during this time).