Almond Spritz Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugar until fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Add almond extract. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to creamed mixture gradually. Press cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for about 7 to 8 minutes. Cool butter cookies on a wire rack. Makes about 5 dozen almond spritz cookies.
2. I like to frost these with a little butter frosting colored with a bit of food coloring (red, blue, etc.)
3. 1/3 cup butter
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
5. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6. 1 pound (3 1/2 cups) sifted confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
7. 3 to 4 tablespoons milk or light cream, or to make smooth and spreadable

Notes

Here is a traditional almond spritz cookie recipe I will be using for Cookie Day 2010. We will be varying the combination of butter and shortening (lard) from all butter to all lard and figure out which we like the best.