Instructions: Thoroughly cream butter or margarine and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract; beat well.

Sift together flour and baking powder; add gradually to creamed mixture, mixing to a smooth dough. Force dough through cooky press onto ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with colored sugar, if desired.

Bake in hot oven, 400 degrees 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.

Variations: substitute other extracts for the almond extract, and experiment with coloring the dough with food coloring and trying different toppings. In addition to the recipes following, Ive also tried raspberry extract and red food coloring, and maple extract topped with walnut pieces and cinnamon sugar (put the walnuts on first, then the sugar!). Ive used candy coated multi-colored mini chocolate chips for a topping, as well as the usual jimmies and other sprinkles.

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