Spritz Cookies

This has been a holiday staple in my family for as long as I can remember. The favorite was always the green Christmas trees, but I like to have a variety of colors and shapes. You'll need a cookie press for these, but they're extremely easy to make.

(I remember my husband being intimidated by my mom's electric cookie press when we were dating. Now I have a squeeze-gun version, which I think would be less scary for a newcomer to the world of pressed cookies.)

Spritz Cookies
1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
4 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. milk

Thoroughly cream together butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract. Beat until smooth.

In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Gradually add this to the butter mixture. Beat in milk until dough is smooth.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Divide dough into portions, and use different food colors for each portion. Press dough through cookie press to create desired shapes onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 7 to 8 minutes until edges begin to brown.

Cool for one minute on cookie sheets, and then cool completely on newspaper (lined with wax paper). Makes 5 dozen (little) cookies.