In a very large bowl, stir together flour, the 2 cups sugar, the cinnamon, baking ammonia, and salt.
Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add eggs and lemon peel; mix well to form a dough.
On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into shapes with 2- or 3-inch cookie cutters. Place cutouts on ungreased cookie sheets.
Combine egg white and water; brush over tops of cookies. Sprinkle cookies with pearl or regular sugar. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if you like. Makes 60 to 84 cookies.
To spread out your baking tasks, you can mix up the dough one day and chill it overnight. Then, roll out and bake the cookies the next day. You can store baked cookies in the freezer for up to 6 months.