Spumoni Icebox Cookies

2 3/4 all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped

green paste food coloring

1/3 cup red candied cherries, finely chopped

red paste food coloring

Line a 9" x 5" metal loaf pan with plastic wrap, letting wrap extend on all

sides. On waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugar 4 minutes,

or until light and fluffy, scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and almond

extract and beat until well blended. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture

until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.

Transfer 1 rounded cup plain dough to medium bowl; with spoon, stir in pistachios

and enough green food coloring to tine dough bright green. In another bowl, place

1 rounded cup of plain dough; stir in cherries and enough red food coloring to tint

dough a bright red. Evenly pat pistachio dough into bottom of prepared pan; freeze

10 minutes. Pat plain dough on top of pistachio layer; freeze 10 minutes. Pat cherry

dough on top. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for four hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from pan; discard plastic wrap. With

serrated knife, cut dough crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Cut each slice cross-

wise into 3 cookies. Place cookies, 2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.

Bake cookies 10-12 minutes or until form and golden brown at edges. Cool cookies on

cookie sheet on wire rack 2 minutes. With wide spatula, carefully transfer cookies to

rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered

container at room temperature up to 2 weeks or in freezer up to 3 months.