Swedish Spritz Cookies

Directions

Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Add the egg yolk and almond extract; beat well.

Beat or stir in the flour.

Force the unchilled dough through a cookie press on to ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are firm but not brown.

Cool the cookies on wire racks.

Variations: For a nutty cookie, stir in ½ cup finely ground nuts with the flour.

Toast the nuts before grinding, if you like.

For a chocolate cookie, reduce the flour to 2¼ cups.

Add an additional ¼ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder.

Add the cocoa before adding the flour.

If you like, dip the tops of the cookies in icing; then, sprinkle with chopped nuts or colored sugar.

Or sprinkle on the decorative toppings before baking.

For a marbled dough, alternately put about ¼ cup of each color of dough in a cookie press.

Or put some coloring on white dough and knead it a few times to marble; then place in the cookie press.