Amaretto Cream Strawberries (Cookies)

I can't remember where I originally got this recipe from. There's a little bit of fussing to make them look cute, but it's worth it, especially for company! But even without the fussing, you can make them simpler and they still taste just as good. If you like almond flavoring, you'll love these cookies! (Prep time includes 1 hour chill time.)

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Yields: 5 dozen

Ingredients

• 1  cup butter or 1  cup margarine, softened
• 1⁄2 cup  sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1  teaspoon Amaretto
• 2 1⁄4 cups  sifted all-purpose flour
• 2⁄3 cup  ground  blanched almond
•  green food coloring
•  red sugar crystals

• Amaretto Butter Cream

• 1⁄4 cup butter or 1⁄4 cup margarine, softened
• 2  tablespoons amaretto liqueur
• 1  tablespoon heavy cream
• 2  cups  sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Beat together butter, confectioners' sugar, and Amaretto liqueur until smooth.
2. Stir in flour and almonds until well blended.
3. Chill about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to moderate (350 F).
5. Roll dough, half at a time, on floured surface, to a 1/4 inch thickness.
6. Cut out with a small floured spade or heart shaped cutter.
7. Transfer with spatula to greased cookie sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart.
8. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned around edges.
9. Transfer to wire racks; cool.
10. Store in tightly covered container for up to 2 weeks.
11. Prepare Amaretto Butter Cream as follows:.
12. Combine softened butter, Amaretto, heavy cream and confectioners' sugar in a small bowl.
13. Beat until well blended.
14. Reserve half butter cream plain; tint remainder pale green with food coloring.
15. Frost cookies with plain butter cream.
16. Dip in red sugar crystals or sprinkle crystals heavily over frosting, pressing in slightly.
17. Using a cake decorator with a small round tip, or a plastic bag made into a cone, fill with green tinted butter cream.
18. If using a plastic bag, cut the tip off the cone to make a small opening.
19. Pipe a green stem and long points to resemble a strawberry hull on top of each cookie.
20. (Or just frost the cookies with plain Amaretto butter cream frosting and use sliced, fresh strawberries on top.).