Melt-Away Butter Cookies

1 1/4 c Butter; softened

3/4 c Powdered sugar; sifted

2 1/2 c All-purpose flour

1/2 ts Vanilla extract

1/2 ts Almond extract

Few drops liquid food -coloring Chocolate-tipped butter -cookies: 12 oz Semisweet chocolate morsels

1 tb Shortening

1/2 c Pecans; finely chopped

Recipe by: Southern Living

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add flour, and mix well. Stir in flavorings and food coloring, if desired. Use a cookie gun to shape dough as desired, following the manufacturer`s instructions. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight about 7 dozen ( 2-inch) cookies. CHOCOLATE-TIPPED BUTTER COOKIES: Melt together semisweet chocolate morsels and shortening. Dip half of each prepared butter cookie in chocolate mixture. Roll chocolate-dipped portion in finely chopped pecans. Place cookies on wire racks until chocolate is firm. NOTE: Melt-Away Butter Cookies call for a cookie gun to shape the dough. With a cookie gun, you can stamp out a wide variety of perfectly shaped cookies in a minimum of time, making this piece of equipment a practical investment for someone who does a lot of baking and entertaining. You`ll find both electric and hand-pump models of cookie guns available in most kitchen shops or department stores. Most are constructed so that you can make mints, cheese straws, and canapes as well as cookies. Since the models differ in construction, follow the specific manufacturer`s directions for assembling and loading the gun. -----