Recipe Ingredients

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 21/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 11/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, cut in pieces
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• Assorted paste, gel or liquid food colors
• White sanding (fine crystal) sugar

Recipe Preparation

1. You’ll need baking sheets and a 6-in. bird cookie cutter.
2. Pulse almonds in food processor until finely chopped. Add flour; process until almonds are finely ground. Add butter; pulse until crumbs form. Add sugar, egg and 11/2 tsp extract. Process just until dough forms.
3. Pat dough into a ball; divide in half. Place one half between 2 sheets of wax paper on a dampened work surface; roll out to 1/4 in. thick. Repeat with other half. Slide onto a baking sheet; place in freezer about 10 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 350ºF. Remove top sheet of wax paper. With floured cutter, cut out as many birds as possible. With metal spatula, remove birds; place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, just until golden. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack 2 minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely. Reroll scraps; cut more birds.
6. Stir 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, remaining 1/2 tsp extract and 2 to 3 Tbsp water until smooth. Divide among smaller bowls; tint each to desired color. Spread icing over each cookie.
7. Stir 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with about 4 tsp water until thick enough to pipe. Spoon into small ziptop bag; snip off a tiny corner of bag. Pipe designs on a cookie, then immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar. Repeat with other cookies. Let dry at least 12 hours. Tap off excess sugar.
Plan ahead: Store un-iced cookies airtight at room temperature up to a week, decorated cookies up to 3 days.