Lennie's Special Shortbread

This is my Signature Recipe. The melt-in-your-mouth texture of these Christmas cookies is wonderful, and the food processor makes it easy. They freeze well too.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 4-5 dozen

Ingredients

• 1  cup butter, cold
• 1⁄2 cup icing sugar
• 1⁄2 cup cornstarch
• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Chop cold butter into chunks.
2. In cuisinart fitted with metal blade, process butter with icing sugar until well creamed, about one minute; you may have to scrape down the sides.
3. Add remaining ingredients and process with several on/off turns, just until dough is well mixed and begins to gather together in a ball around the blade.
4. What I do now is wrap this dough in wax paper and put it in the fridge, and make up a second batch with the remaining 1/2 pound of butter (1 cup butter= 1/2 pound); I then put that dough in the fridge and proceed with the first batch I made.
5. Raw dough keeps well in the fridge for several days.
6. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into small balls.
7. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (shiny is best) and flatten, using a fork dipped in icing sugar, cookie press dipped in icing sugar, or a cherry or nut (halved).
8. I often put coloured sprinkles or coloured sugars on top of cookies before baking.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, watching carefully; edges should be very lightly browned.
10. Yield: 40-50 cookies.