Tie-Dye Glazed Ornament Cookies

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Prepare Vanilla Bean Dough:

Beat powdered sugar, butter, and granulated sugar with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed just until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-low; beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Beat in egg, vanilla bean paste, and almond extract until combined, 15 to 30 seconds.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat just until dough comes together, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.

Divide dough in half; shape each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days before using.

Roll half of Vanilla Bean Dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove top piece of parchment paper. Cut dough using lightly floured 2 1/2- to 3 1/2-inch ornament cookie cutters; do not remove scraps. Transfer cut dough on parchment paper to a baking sheet; freeze until firm, about 5 minutes. Place cut dough shapes at least 3/4 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Reroll, cut, and chill dough scraps as needed. Repeat process with remaining dough half.

Bake in preheated oven, 1 pan at a time, until edges are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes; transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Prepare Cookie Glaze:

Stir together powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and 3 tablespoons of the milk in a medium bowl until combined. Stir in up to remaining 1 tablespoon milk, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached (thinner for Tie-Dye Glazed Ornament Cookies).

Decorate Cookies:

Place 1/2 cup Cookie Glaze in a medium bowl; set aside. Divide remaining glaze among 2 small bowls. Stir desired food coloring gel into 1 bowl of Cookie Glaze, adding until a deep shade is reached. Stir a smaller amount of the same food coloring gel to second bowl, adding until a lighter shade is reached. Transfer each tinted glaze to a piping bag; cut a 1/4-inch hole in each tip.

Make a crosshatch pattern in reserved plain Cookie Glaze by drizzling thin lines of deep shade of glaze and topping with thin lines of lighter shade.

Dip top of a cooled cookie into pattern in bowl; twist and pull up, letting excess drip off.

Place cookie, glaze side up, on a wire rack; wipe edges as needed. Repeat process with remaining cookies, adding tinted glaze in crosshatch pattern into bowl as needed.

Let cookies stand until set, about 4 hours. Using a clean paintbrush, decorate tops of cookies with luster dust, if desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.