Spritz Cookies

This is my traditional Christmas cookie recipe, but I'm sure it'd be just as delicious made any other time of year (just don't use the Christmas tree disc and Christmas colors or folks might think you're a wee bit weird).

2 cups salted butter*

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons almond extract

4 cups flour

Cream the butter. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs and almond extract (if you desire colored dough, this is where you add the food coloring). Blend in flour until mixture is smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill cookie press and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet, keeping unused dough in refrigerator between batches. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden around the edges. Remove from cookie sheet immediately and cool on wire racks.

*If you get frustrated easily, Butter Flavored Crisco can be used in place of the butter. Dough made with butter tends to be too sticky and not press correctly if it's not cold enough (but you don't want it TOO cold, either, or it's too hard for pressing). Butter cookies taste best, but the Crisco dough is easier to work with.

Makes about 10 dozen small cookies, depending on the disc used.