Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter softened
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Directions:
1. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in bowl.
2. With a pastry blender cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture is full of fine lumps.
3. Measure the egg in a measuring cup. The yolks should measure ¼ cup. If they do not, add water to the ¼ cup line.
4. Add the egg and vanilla to the flour mixture and blend very well.
5. Press through a Mirro cookie press onto an un-greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet at once. Recipe makes 5 dozen small cookies.

Cooks Note: For Chocolate Spritz cookies simply add 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate to the shortening mixture before adding to the dry ingredients.

I have made these cookies since before I had children. They are one of my favorite Christmas cookies. I often color the dough with a few drops of food coloring and sprinkle with colored sugar. The green Christmas trees look nice on a tray of goodies. I got my cookie press, when I was first married (1964,) by saving up S&H green stamps. I guess if you remember what those were, you are as young as I am.