• Leave butter on the counter and let it come to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl, cream butter, and vegetable shortening. 
• Add in sugar and cream together.
• Add almond extract and flour, and blend.
• Take mixture by teaspoonfuls and rub with the palm of the hands to form balls.
• Arrange on a lightly greased cookie baking sheet. 
• Press each ball gently with the back of a teaspoon to create a depression and form the cookie.
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Decorating these cookies is best before baking.

• The cookies themselves do not need any other addition. They are scrumptious all on their own. But adding a little decoration never hurts. Here are a few options;

Jam

• If you want to use jam on the cookies, press the back of the teaspoon onto the cookies. Then, add the jam onto the dimple, and bake. I am a Puerto Rican, and guava is king, lol. This I say that almost jokingly because I was in a guava strike at one point in my life. I remember saying to my nephew, just because I am Puerto Rican does not mean I have to like everything guava. Today, I have a different view of the tiny fruit, and if you haven't yet, you should try it for yourself.

Cherries

• If using maraschino cherries, cut each cherry in half and garnish each cookie with a piece in the center.

Sprinkles

• There are some options here for decorating these cookies to make them that much more appealing for the little ones.
• Fill the dimple sprinkles.
• Instead of making a dimple with the teaspoon. Press the tines of the fork onto the cookie. Then add the sprinkle.
• Or pour the sprinkles (this also works well with colored sugar) onto a dish. Press the cookie onto the sprinkles and then bake.
• Once you decorate the cookies, bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.