Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the cookie dough. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract, then mix until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.

2. 2

   Chill the dough. Divide the dough into two discs and wrap them tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The dough should feel firm enough to roll without sticking excessively.

3. 3

   Roll and cut the cookies. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into graduation cap shapes, circles, rectangles for diploma cookies, or classic shapes using cookie cutters.

4. 4

   Bake until set. Place the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 8–10 minutes. The edges should look lightly set while the centers remain pale. Avoid deep browning to keep the surface smooth for decorating.

5. 5

   Cool completely. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. The cookies should feel firm and completely cool before icing.

6. 6

   Make the royal icing. Beat the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, water, and vanilla until smooth and glossy. Adjust with a few drops of water if needed. Many home bakers use a royal icing consistency guide like the one from Sally's Baking Addiction when preparing icing for outlining and flooding cookies.

7. 7

   Outline the designs. Transfer thicker icing to piping bags and outline each cookie. For graduation cap cookies, pipe the mortarboard shape first. For diploma cookies, outline a rolled-scroll design.

8. 8

   Flood the cookies. Thin a portion of the icing slightly and fill the outlined areas. Use a toothpick to spread icing into corners and remove air bubbles. The surface should settle into a smooth, glossy finish within a minute or two.

9. 9

   Add details. Once the base layer begins to set, pipe tassels, borders, school colors, names, or graduation years. Let the decorated grad cookies dry for several hours until the icing feels hard to the touch.