Easter Egg Cookies

Cream powdered sugar and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. (5 minutes)

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest. (3 minutes)

Combine sifted flour with baking powder and salt. Sift again, then add to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, stirring after each addition until just combined. (7 minutes)

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. (at least 2 hours)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet. (15 minutes)

Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. Lightly dust your hands with flour and roll 2 tablespoons dough between your palms into a 3-inch long cylinder with tapering ends. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. (20 minutes)

Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are a pale straw color. (12 minutes)

Remove from the oven and immediately transfer cookies to wire racks. Allow to cool thoroughly. (30 minutes)

While the cookies are cooling, prepare icings. Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and warm water for lemon icing in one bowl, and combine powdered sugar, warm water, chocolate, and vanilla for chocolate icing in a second bowl. (10 minutes)

Stir both icings until smooth and thin enough to pour. (5 minutes)

Put waxed paper under the racks of cookies. Pour about 1 tablespoon lemon icing over a cookie, beginning in the center and continuing around the sides until cookie is evenly coated. Repeat to frost 1/2 of the cookies with lemon icing and the other 1/2 with chocolate icing. (25 minutes)

Scoop up any icing that drips onto the waxed paper and stir it back into the remaining icing. Use extra icing as needed to coat cookies. Let icing dry until no longer sticky. (30 minutes)

Use tubes or pressurized cans of decorating icing to make your own fanciful design of flowers, geometric shapes, or Easter motifs. (variable time)