Mix together the dry ingredients:

   - 2 1/4 cups flour

   - 1/2 tsp baking powder

   - 1/2 tsp salt

In a separate bowl, cream together:

   - 1/2 cup butter

   - 2/3 cup sugar

To the butter mixture, add:

   - 1 egg

   - 1 tsp vanilla

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.

Wrap the dough and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Make the paint before rolling and cutting out the cookies.

For each color, mix in a separate bowl until a good consistency for painting:

   - 1 egg yolk

   - water, a few drops at a time

Starting with a couple of drops each, add as desired:

   - food coloring

Preheat oven to 350° and line cookie sheets with parchment.

Roll out, cut out, and paint the cookies.

Bake for 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness and overall size of the cookies. When finished, they should be light brown on the bottoms, but barely any color on the tops.

Remove to a rack to cool.