To Make the Cookie Dough:

1. Cream the shortening or vegan butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the lemon zest, the aquafaba, and the extracts to the creaming butter/sugar mixture and then stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.
3. Next, sift together the flour baking powder and salt and add it all at once to the creamed mixture. Mix just until it is all combined.
4. Wrap this dough disc in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before using or you can store it for up to 1 week wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator, or in the freezer for 2 months.
5. You must re-work this dough with some additional flour to a pliable consistency after it has been chilled. Do not skip this step.
6. Knead it with some flour until it is no longer a crumbly mass, but a soft pliable dough.
7. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick and cut shapes as desired.
8. Transfer cookie cutouts to a parchment lined sheet pan and bake in preheated to 350° F oven for approximately 15-22 minutes or until light golden brown.
9. Cool the cookies while you prepare the vegan royal icing.

To Make the Royal Icing:

1. Combine the egg replacer with the warm water and whisk smooth.
2. Place the sifted confectioner's sugar in a mixing bowl and then add the vanilla extract and the egg replacer mixture.
3. Mix on medium to high speed until it is smooth.
4. Color as desired with gel paste food colors and decorate as you like.
5. Allow cookies to dry slightly at room temperature.