Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and caster sugar on medium-high speed for about 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is light, pale, and fluffy.

Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until everything is well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure it's all incorporated.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, and salt.

Mix the Dough: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three additions. Mix until just combined—be careful not to overmix, as this can make the cookies tough. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.

Chill the Dough: Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a flat disc about 2cm thick, wrap tightly in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results. I find that chilling overnight gives the best results for no-spread cookies.

Prep for Baking: When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line two large baking trays with parchment paper.

Roll and Cut: Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Unwrap one disc of chilled dough and roll it out to a thickness of about 5-6mm (¼ inch). Use your favourite Christmas cookie cutters to cut out shapes, placing them about 5cm apart on the prepared baking trays. Re-roll the scraps once.

Bake the Cookies: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn a pale golden brown. The centres should still look soft. Let them cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Icing: While the cookies cool, prepare the royal icing. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites (or meringue powder prepared according to package directions) until frothy. Gradually add the sifted icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat for 5-7 minutes until the icing is glossy and forms stiff peaks. Beat in the lemon juice.

Decorate: If the icing is too thick, add water ½ teaspoon at a time until you reach a pipeable consistency. Divide the icing into separate bowls and tint with gel food colouring. Decorate the completely cooled cookies using piping bags or small spatulas. Let the icing set completely at room temperature, which can take several hours or overnight.