1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well combined. Add in the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix until combined. Add in the sifted flour and salt. If you are making the chocolate spritz cookies, add in the cocoa powder as well. Mix just until combined.

3. To make the bear shape, add the chocolate dough or vanilla dough to a piping bag or ziptop bag with one end snipped off. Reserve about 1/8 of the vanilla dough. Add red gel food dye to the reserved vanilla dough and mix until the dough is uniform in color.

Pipe two lines, roughly 1 to 1 ½ inches apart, for the ears. Pipe a 3 inch circle, making sure the top of the circle goes over the bottom of the ears (that way it will bake together and the ears will stay intact with the bear). Continue piping the circle until it is entirely filled in. In the center of the circle, pipe a small circle (this will be for the snout, to draw the nose).

Add the red cookie dough to a piping bag or ziptop bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe the red cookie dough in between the ears in a triangular hat shape. This will be the Christmas hat.

4. Bake in preheated oven 10-13 minutes, or until light golden color on edges.

5. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool before handling.

6. To finish the bear cookies, melt some milk/dark chocolate and white chocolate. Place the chocolate in a piping bag or ziptop bag with one corner snipped off. Using the white chocolate, place a small dot at the tip of the red Christmas hat. Then pipe a border between the edge of the hat and the bear.

Now, using the milk/dark chocolate, pipe two upside down “U” ‘s for eyes, then pipe a nose and mouth on the snout. Allow chocolate to harden, then enjoy!