In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt. Whisk to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, add the butter and granulated sugar. Start mixing at low speed, gradually increase the speed to high, and whisk the mixture for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy and pale yellow in color.

Add the orange zest, egg and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to bring the mixture to the center.

Now add the flour mixture, in 3 batches, into the butter mixture and start whisking at slow speed until combined.

The mixture should look cohesive, else use the rubber spatula to combine.

Use a plastic wrap, add the dough onto the wrap. Cover and seal properly. Flatten the dough into a round disc about 5 inches in diameter. Store in the fridge for at least 2 hours overnight. If left overnight, leave it out for 20 minutes for it to soften a bit, so it is easy to roll out the dough.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Set 3 baking trays with parchment paper.

On a clean work surface, sprinkle extra flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into about ½ cm thickness.

Dipping the 2 inch round cutter into extra flour, cut out circles, and place them on the baking tray. Place 12 to 15 cookies at a time on a tray. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for about 13 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown in color.

While these cookies are baking, you can keep the other trays with the unbaked cut cookies into the fridge for it to stay cold, until they are ready to go into the oven.

Once one baking tray is done, let the cookies cool completely on the baking tray for about 20 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the confectioner’s sugar, meringue powder, and 6 tbsp warm water to start off with. Start off slow so as not to splatter the sugar everywhere. As the mixer incorporates, increase the speed to medium speed, and whisk for about 7 to 8 minutes. Check for the consistency.

If the mixture is too stiff then you can add 1 tsp water at a time, or if too runny, add about ¼ cup powdered sugar at a time.

Separate out the icing into smaller bowls, depending upon the amount you will use for each color.

Add each color into a piping bag, by putting each piping bag in a tall glass, having a large overhang of the bag around the glass. Put each color of the icing into each piping bag. Using a bench scraper, gently scrape all the icing all the way to the bottom of the bag. Use rubber bands to seal the tops. Keep them aside until ready to use.

Cut just a slight piece of the tip of the baby blue royal icing. About 1mm. With a steady hand, surround the rim of each cookie with the royal icing. Flood each cookie with the same color by piping all around inside the cookie in reducing concentric circles. Tap the cookie on the surface, and shake it alternatively to flood the cookie with the royal icing. You will see it smoothen out slowly. If it does not, use a toothpick to easen out the icing throughout the cookie until smooth.

Repeat for all the cookies. Let it dry completely, about an hour.

For piping the designs, you need a steady hand, and cut just a tiny tip of the piping bag, about 1mm. Using your creativity, pipe your designs on the cookie.