Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness.

Using a butterfly-shaped cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden.

Let them cool completely on a wire rack.

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites (or the meringue powder and water mixture) until stiff peaks form.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth and glossy.

Divide the icing into two bowls. In one bowl, add pink food coloring and mix well.

Using a fine-tipped piping bag, outline the wings of the butterfly with the white icing and allow to dry for 10 minutes.

Fill in the wings with pink icing and allow to dry for about 30 minutes.

Roll out small amounts of pink and green fondant and cut out small flowers and leaves.

Arrange the fondant decorations on the cookies and add pearl sprinkles on top.

Let the cookies sit until the royal icing completely dries before serving.