Today I'm sharing with you a failproof shortbread recipe. They keep their shape while baking, they're buttery and delicious and can be used in a ton of different ways. Why am I saying they're failproof ? I'm no pastry chef, as you know but they turned out wonderfully and so cute.

I know the butter quantity is mind boggling... I know ! But that's what makes it extra buttery and gives it such a good taste. Don't put less butter than written, you'll end up with tough shortbreads and nobody wants that.

I've made shortbreads many many times and a lot of times, they just ended up loosing their shape while cooking... Not these though ! So they're perfect to play with fun shapes.
You can use the cookie cutters of your choice. I'll put the link of mine right here so you can see. I made cute chocolate and almond mushrooms, stuffed flowers and plain stars !

Failproof shortbreads, to decorate (about 80 pieces) :

• 400 g flour
• 100 g cornstarch
• 100 g icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 250 g softened butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder

For the decoration :

• 80 g dark chocolate
• 10 chopped almonds

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter, salt, sugar, cornstarch and egg. Whisk until it gets fluffy and creamy.

Put the leaf attachment on your stand mixer.

Add the baking powder and flower, mix until well combined. Shape a ball of dough with your hands, cover in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge until ready to use.

Take the dough out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting to work with it.

Roll the dough out and cut out shortbreads the size and shape of your choice.

If you want to make "stuffed" shortbreads, cut out a hole in half of your shortbreads before cooking with a small piping tip for example.

Put the shortbreads on a parchment paper covered baking sheet.

Preheat the oven at 180°C and bake for 10 minutes. They shouldn't brown too much (see photo for reference). Let them cool on the baking sheet.

To decorate them, melt the chocolate over a water bath.

If you're making a shortbread sandwich, add a little bit of chocolate on a shortbread with no holes then add a shortbread with a hole on top. Press lightly.

For the mushrooms, dip the top of the mushroom in chocolate and sprinkle with chopped almonds.

Let the chocolate harden (at room temperature or in the fridge) before serving !