Take the butter out of the fridge about an hour in advance so that it is soft enough to cream.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl, blend the softened butter with the sifted powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.

Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, then mix to combine. Pour in the milk and continue mixing until fully incorporated.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to collect all the dough.

Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture, then mix just until a homogeneous dough forms, being careful not to overwork it.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into two smooth balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap, flatten slightly, and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes before rolling out.

Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of 3 mm (about 1/8 inch). This avoids flouring the work surface and the rolling pin.

Place the rolled-out dough on a baking sheet and refrigerate for about twenty minutes to firm it up. Working with a firm dough will make it easier to cut out shapes and move the cookies without distorting them.

Then cut out the shapes using the cookie cutters of your choice. Here, I've used Silikomart's Cookies Choc mold and Decora's CiocCookies mold, but there are plenty of options to choose from.

Arrange the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or, ideally, on a micro-perforated Silpat mat. This gives a nice grid pattern to the bottoms of the cookies. I also use a perforated baking sheet for perfect heat distribution, but even without it, the results are great.

Chill the tray of cookies in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking.

Gather the dough scraps into a ball, handling it lightly on the work surface to smooth it out. Roll it out again following the same procedure to use up all the dough.

Keep an eye on your first batch, as baking times may vary depending on the oven.

Once baked, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate as desired with royal icing or by attaching chocolate plaques with your chosen designs.