MAKING DOUGH:
Sift together flour and salt. Cream together shortening, sugar, eggs, salt, flavoring and soda. Combine mixtures and shape dough into an oval roll and wrap in waxed paper or place in plastic bag. Chill at least 2 hours.
CUTOUT AND BAKING:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a pastry canvas and covered rolling pin. Flour both lightly. Take out 1/4 or less of dough. Keep remaining dough chilled. Roll dough into 1/4 - and 3/8 - inch thickness. With floured cookie cutter, place cutter on dough and press down firmly with fingers all around edges to make sure the entire edge is cut. With spatula, lift cutter and dough. With thumb, rub cutting edge clean of dough. Then, using thumb, gently press dough into design of cutter. Be careful never to press closer than 1/4 inch of edge of cutter. Slap cutter down on table or cookie sheet, and dough will come right out. Flour cutter before cutting next cookie. Bake cookies 12 to 15 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Cool thoroughly before decorating.
NOTES:
If you wish to make colored dough, mix color into dough just before rolling dough in waxed paper. Colored dough should bake at only 325 degrees to help the dough retain its color.
Variations can be made on this recipe. You may add to the dry ingredients 1 1/4 tsp baking soda for a bit more flaky cookie, but this does cause a little loss of detail on the finished cookies. You can also substitute lemon extract for the almond and vanilla flavorings.
For easier cookie release - dough must be kept chilled. If cookie dough tends to stick, be sure cutter is clean. Occasionally, due to different egg sizes, it is necessary to work a little extra flour into your cookie dough if it is too sticky to release easily from your cutters.
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