Preheat the oven to 400 F (205 C). *This is a no refrigeration dough, so we will be baking right after we’re done mixing the dough.

To the bowl of a stand mixer or mixing bowl, add the room temp butter (cold butter will be difficult here, but see trouble shooting for cold butter in the “success tips” section of the post), granulated sugar, and salt.

Cream the butter, sugar, and salt until slightly lightened and fluffy. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract to the bowl. Mix well until combined and emulsified. Again, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Add the flour all at once and mix until combined, being careful not to over-mix.

Place some of the dough into a cookie press and begin pressing cookies onto an un-greased, un-lined cookie sheet. They can be as close together as the press will allow. 

*Optional: Freeze the sheet for 5 minutes to protect the shapes of the cookies.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden. However, if you prefer a pale cookie, only bake them until they are set and no longer shiny, about 6-8 minutes.

Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for just a few minutes before using a metal spatula to scrape them off and onto a metal rack to cool completely. (If you let them cool for too long, they will be stuck.)

While the cookies are baking and cooling, mix the icing. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and gently whisk to combine. The consistency should be thin but not as thin as water. Aim for a slightly thinner than honey consistency, like maple syrup. 

Dip the cookies in the icing and scrape off the excess on the side of the bowl. Sprinkle with sanding sugar and allow the icing to set before packaging them.