Wilma:

I am not familiar with the cornsyrup way but it sounds much safer than the way we used to do this. Years ago one way was to add food coloring to egg yoke and paint that directly on already-baked cookies. With all the egg bacteria warnings I would not do that today. I haven't tried this with egg substitutes.

Anyway...

Here is one way using food coloring, powdered sugar and egg white. This one calls for painting the cookies BEFORE baking them.

I would guess you could make the "paint" using artificial egg white and paint them after baking.

Anyway... here is one recipe (including the cookies)
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Title: Cut-Out Cookies

Yield: 48 cookies

1 c Butter or margarine
1 1/2 c C and H Powdered Sugar unsifted
1 Egg
1 ts Vanilla
2 1/4 c All-purpose flour
1 ts Baking powder

Soften butter and beat until creamy.
Beat in sugar until smooth. Add egg
and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour
and baking powder until thoroughly
mixed. Chill 2 to 3 hours.

Roll dough thin on floured board.

Cut into desired shapes.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in
375-degree oven 8 to 10 minutes.

To frost: Beat one egg white until
foamy. Beat in 1/2 cup unsifted
C&H Powdered Sugar. Tint with
food coloring. Paint cookie
with frosting BEFORE baking.

Makes 4-dozen cut-out cookies.