Homemade Animal Cookies

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until the mixture is light. With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time.

Combine the whipping cream with lemon juice and mix quickly. Add the baking soda to the cream and whisk to combine. Add to the butter mixture along with the vanilla and salt.

Sift 1 cup of flour with the baking powder. With the mixer running, add the sifted flour to the butter mixture, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time with the mixer running.

Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out the cookie dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Re-roll the dough as needed (you may need to chill it after re-rolling).

Put the cutout cookies on baking sheets. Place in the oven and bake at 375 degrees F until lightly browned, about 7-10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, combine the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and food coloring in a bowl. Mix until the frosting is a spreading consistency (you can add cream to thin it as needed) and desired color is achieved.

Frost the cooled cookies with the frosting and sprinkle with colored sugar. Let the cookies dry overnight. Store the cookies in an airtight container.