• Take butter from the fridge and bring to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Prepare your cookie sheets, line them with parchment paper or a non-stick baking liner.
• Set up cooling racks.
• Stir together flour and salt in a large bowl.
• In your mixer cream butter until fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
• Add sugar and continue to mix on medium until very light in colour and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes, scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
• Add flour mixture, mix on low until the flour is just incorporated.
• Put dough in ball and wrap with plastic wrap.  Let sit for 15 minutes to rest.
• Once dough has rested, on lightly floured surface roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
• Using floured cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place on prepared cookie sheets.  (If using sprinkles place on cookie in centre, see my heart cookies in the photo.)
• Bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
• Let cool completely on wire racks.
• Decorate them with coloured sugar sprinkled on top or melt some chocolate and pipe on to the cookie.

Chocolate Shortbread

• Do the same as the regular shortbread, simply add 5 tablespoons of unsweetened good quality cocoa powder to the dry mixture.