Shortbread cookies

Ingredients :
All purpose flour - 2 cups or 260 gms ( sieved ),
Butter salted - 1 cup or 226 gms ( room temperature ),
Icing sugar - 1/2 cup or 60 gms ( sieved ),
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp.

Method :
In a separate bowl sieve the flour .If you are using unsalted butter add in 1/2 tsp of salt .If you are using salted than you dont need to add salt .

In a separate bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer or kitchen aid  till pale and light ( 1 minute )

Add the sugar and beat till cream and smooth ( 2 minute ) in high speed .

Beat in the vanilla essence .

Gently stir in the flour  until just incorporated .

Remove the mixer and gather the dough by using your fingers .
Dump the dough on a lightly floured counter .

lightly dust your fingers with flour and  flatten and make a  round disc of the dough on your counter by lightly patting  it .

Spread cling film or plastic  sheet  on your counter  and transfer the dough on to the cling film .

 Wrap it and chill in the fridge for an hour so that the dough is firm .

Pre heat oven to 177 C ( 10 minutes before you start baking ).
Use 2 trays with  butter  paper .

Take out the dough and put it on a counter .

Dont remove the cling film  but just open it and spread it out  .
Since  the dough has lots of butter  ,it  is not easy to roll it .
Take one more sheet and spread it on the disc  .
With your rolling pin roll the dough on top of the cling film  till it is 1/4 inch thick circle .
You have to roll the pin very gently .

Cut into round or whatever your shape by using a lightly floured cookie cutter .Gather  the leftover dough again and make a disc 1/4 inch in thickness and cut with a lightly floured cutter .

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets and dust out the extra flour  than cover with a sheet and put in the fridge for 15 minutes for the cookies to be firm in shape.

Take out  the cookies from the fridge after 15 minutes and put in the oven to bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until you see the edges brown .

The browning of cookies will depend on the thickness of your cookies .
Remove from oven and transfer the sheets on to a wire rack to cool .

Fresh baked cookies are amazing in flavour and texture .
Makes 20 cookies .