Preheat the oven to 375F. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat
in the egg, vanilla and food colouring. Add the flour and salt and beat until smooth.
Press the dough through a potato ricer in chunks, scraping the dough off the
outside of the ricer with a knife and gently shaping it into mounds on an ungreased
baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until pale golden around the edges and set.
If you like, press eyes into the cookies while they are still warm.