Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until it becomes light and fluffy. Add the milk to the mixture along with the egg, vanilla and orange zest and mix well. Then slowly add the flour mixture until it is just combined.

Shape the dough into a ball, then divide it into two balls. Wrap them in plastic wrap. Place them in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

Lightly dust some flour onto your countertop, and roll the dough out until it is ¼ inch thick. Cut out your desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place these on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for about 10 minutes at 350F, until lightly golden. Transfer these to cooling racks and allow to fully cool.

Place the confectioner’s sugar, meringue powder and water into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about 7 minutes until the mixture is smooth and when drizzled, stays on the surface for a few seconds. If you find that the icing is too thick, gradually add a few more drops of water.

Divide the icing into as many bowls as you like and dye it your desired colours. Place the icing into piping bags fitted with small, round tips.

Work from the base colour upwards by piping a border of icing around the perimeter of the cookies. Fill in the cookie with the same colour of icing and allow this layer to fully harden. Repeat the process with one colour at a time, allowing the icing to fully set between each layer.

Once the cookies are decorated, allow the icing to fully set and enjoy!