in a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until creamy. Add flour one cup at a time if you are sensing the dough getting tough stop adding flour even if you haven't added all 3 1/2 cups.
Fill your spritz cookie press of choice, press cookies out on a uncreased cookie sheet and decorate then bake.
Bake 10 minutes rotating after 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Happy Eating!!