1. Sift flour, salt and baking soda onto wax paper.
2. Beat butter or margarine and brown sugar until fluffy in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, ground almonds and vanilla.
3. Stir in flour mixture to make a stiff dough. Wrap in wax paper and chill 3 hours, or overnight.
4. Roll out dough, a quarter at a time, to a 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured pastry cloth or board. Cut into stars with a 3-inch cutter. Place, 1 inch apart, on cookie sheets.
5. Bake in hot oven (400°) 10 minutes, or until cookies are golden; remove to wire racks with spatula; cool completely.
6. Place star tip on frosting tube and pipe lines, following picture or as you wish.