• To begin, allow the butter to completely soften. Setting it out overnight is an easy way to do this. Then set out the eggs until they come to room temperature.
• Place the butter in a medium sized bowl. Use a spoon to mash it a little. Then add the sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Cream the ingredients together until the butter is not so chunky.
• Next, add in the gluten-free flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until the dough is smooth. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 8 hours or overnight.
• Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and let it sit out for 10-15 minutes to thaw a little. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• Lightly flour a flat surface and rub flour on a rolling pin. Roll out the dough to about ½'' thickness. Then use a cookie cutter to cut out the shapes. Repeat steps until all of the dough is used. (I used a 2 ½'' round cookie cutter)
• Finally, place the cookies about 1 ½'' apart on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. Using bigger cookie cutters might require longer baking time. Raw cookies can be refrigerated while waiting to be baked to ensure they stay cold.
• Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before decorating with icing.

Earl Grey Icing Instructions

• Start by boiling water. (I boil the water to 212°F) Then measure out ½ cup of boiling water in a mug or container that can withstand the heat.
• Add 4 earl grey tea bags to the boiling water. Use a spoon to submerge the tea bags. Allow the tea to steep for 20 minutes.
• Then in a medium sized bowl, add powdered sugar and salt. Set it aside.
• Next, remove the tea bags, gently squeezing each one to extract the tea water. Measure out 4 tablespoons of tea and add it to the bowl of powdered sugar. Use a whisk to mix until the icing is nice and smooth. The icing will be runny in texture. Decorate the cookies and allow the icing to harden, roughly 20 minutes.