Almond Cookies (Dim Sum Variety)

• red food coloring
• 1 cup vegetable shortening, plus
• 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Pour a few drops of red food coloring into a small bowl, and set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, beat the shortening together with the sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in the egg and almond extract.
3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the sugar-shortening mixture, and mix well. Scoop up a scant tablespoon of dough with a spoon, and form into a walnut-sized ball. Place the ball onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and press the ball slightly with your thumb to create a flat spot on top (don't flatten the cookie). Dip the end of a bamboo chopstick into the red food coloring, and touch the center of each cookie to make a red dot.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until slightly browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on a rack.

red food coloring, vegetable shortening, vegetable shortening, sugar, egg, almond, flour, baking soda, salt

Taken from www.allrecipes.com/recipe/148481/almond-cookies-dim-sum-variety/ (may not work)