Circus Sugar Cookies

Make the dough: Cream the butter in a large bowl using a mixer set on medium speed until light and fluffy. Slowly add sugar and beat until combined. Add whole eggs, yolks, vanilla, lemon extract, and zests and mix thoroughly. Reduce mixer speed to medium low, add the flour and salt, and mix until combined. Divide dough in half, shape each piece into a 6- by 4-inch rectangle, and wrap in plastic. Chill for 4 to 24 hours. Bake the cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line four baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Roll dough out between two pieces of parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out desired shapes and, using a spatula, transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Chill the cut-out cookies on the pan for at least 15 minutes. Wrap scraps in plastic, chill for 30 minutes, and repeat until all dough is used. Bake chilled cookies until golden and firm to the touch -- about 16 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking pans for 10 minutes, transfer to a wire rack, and cool completely. Decorate the cookies: Use our Royal Frosting recipe to pipe decorations onto the cookies and/or to adhere candies and sugars to them. Allow icing to dry completely and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Nutritional information is based on one large undecorated cookie. Nutritional information per small undecorated cookie -- protein: 1.3 g; fat: 6.1 g; carbohydrate: 10.3 g; fiber: .2 g; sodium: 19.5 mg; cholesterol: 28.4 mg; calories: 100.