• 225g butter, room temperature
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 1 egg
• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

ICING:

• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 tablespoon water

1. Grease two baking trays with butter.
2. Using an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add water, vanilla and egg. Beat for a further 1 minute.
4. Add remaining ingredients. Mix until a dough has formed.
5. Form into a disk and wrap tightly in cling film. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. Place dough between two pieces of baking paper. Roll out until approximately 3/4cm thick.
7. Preheat oven to 180c. Using a heart shaped cutter, cut the dough. Place on prepared trays.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden and cooked. Place on a wire rack to cool.
9. ICING: combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix until smooth.
10. Divide icing into 3 separate bowls. Using pink food colouring colour each batch of icing a different shade.
11. Ice cooled cookies in varying shades of pink icing. Allow icing to set. Serve.