Marzipan Cookies

1 c Buttter; softened

1/2 c Sugar

2 1/2 c Flour

1 ts Almond extract

Red-yellow-green food color DESCRIPTION: Beautifully decorated fruit miniatures made of a butter-almond dough. Cream butter and sugar. Stir in flour and almond extract until mixture looks like meal. Divide into 4 equal parts. Color one part of dough red, one green and one yellow and one orange. Shape cookies as described below. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake 30 minutes or until set but not brown. RED DOUGH: Shape into apples and strawberries. APPLES: Form small balls. Insert a tiny piece of cinnamon stick into top as a stem and a whole clove in the bottom as the blossom end. For blush: Dilute a bit of red food color with water and brush over balls. STRAWBERRIES: Shape dough into small, heart-shaped balls. For texture, prick with the blunt end of a toohpick. Roll each berry in red sugar. Form stem and collar-like leaf with pieces of green dough. YELLOW DOUGH: Shape into Bananas and Pears. BANANAS: Shape dough into rolls, tapering ends. Flatten tops slightly to make plans of banana and curve each slightly. Paint on "stripes" with diluted green food color. PEARS: Shape dough into small pear shapes. Insert small piece of cinnamon stick in narrow end for stem, clove in bottom. Brush diluted red color on "cheeks." ORANGE DOUGH: Shape into Apricots and Oranges. APRICOTS: Shape dough into small balls. Make a crease down one side of each with a wooden pick. Insert a whole clove in each for stem. Brush with diluted red color. ORANGES: Shape dough int small balls. Insert whole clove in each for "blossom" end. prick all over with wooden toothpick to make skin textured. GREEN DOUGH: Shape into apples and green peas. APPLES: See directions for red apples. GREEN PEAS: Form dough into 1 1/2" rounds. Divide a rounded teaspoonful of dough into five small "balls" or "peas." Place "peas" in a row on each round, then fold up bottom half of round so "peas" are peeking out. Pinch ends together to secure. From Betty Crocker. -----