Instructions: To make dough, in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, lemon extract, and lemon zest on medium speed until soft and light, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer and use a rubber spatula to incorporate flour. Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a square about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap and chill dough until firm - several hours to several days.

Cut dough in half and refrigerate 1 piece. Place other on a floured surface and flour it lightly. Press and pound dough gently with a rolling pin to soften it, then roll dough about 3/16 inch thick. Use plain or fluted 2- to 2 1/2 inch diamond-shaped cutter to cut dough. Place cookies on prepared pans leaving about 1 inch around each in all directions.

When ready to bake cookies, set racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes, or until they are a very pale golden color. Cool them on pans on racks.

While cookies are baking, prepare filling. In bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together on medium speed the almond paste and butter until soft and very light, about 5 minutes. Lower mixer speed and add confectioners sugar. Beat for another 2 or 3 minutes on medium speed.

Beat in kirsch, then stop mixer and scrape down bowl and beater. Beat in just enough food coloring to tint filling a light green. (Note: Or make them darker green for the Christmas season.)

After cookies have cooled, invert half of them, so that bottoms are facing up. Pipe or spoon about 1 teaspoon almond filling on each. Top with another cookie, bottom to bottom. Gently press them together.

Store finished cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.

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