Gather your ingredients:
- 3 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 c. butter, softened
- 2/3 c. sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1/8 tsp. food coloring
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bow, combine the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and almond extract. Beat well, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add food coloring, blend until evenly distributed. HINT: Add a bit more if you want a deeper color.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Dough will be very stiff.
Decide which disk you want to use with the cookie press. (This time I used a Christmas Tree design).
Put disk into bottom ring and secure. Screw onto cookie press. Remove top ring with plunger and fill press with dough. Screw on top ring. Turn plunger until dough starts to extrude from disk.
Force dough through disk onto ungreased cookie sheet. HINT: This requires some practice. There are also cookie presses available which extrude the cookie automatically. Fill the cookie sheet, leaving about an inch or so between the cookies. They do not spread much.
Decorate with colored sprinkles, if desired.
Bake for 6-9 minutes or until set but not browned. Cookies will be slightly brown on the bottom. HINT: Start with the shortest time and check to see if they are done. You can always give them another minute.
Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute, them remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight tin.
Cookie presses have many different disks available to make different shaped cookies. Try hearts with red or pink food coloring for Valentine's Day, sunbursts in yellow for summer, or green shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day! Enjoy!