Directions

• To start baking, preheat your oven to 325°F. Also, don’t forget to line two baking trays with parchment paper.
  
• Beat the butter and icing sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which will take about 3 minutes. Then, add the vanilla bean paste (or extract) to this mixture and beat it in. It is an essential step to beat the butter and sugar well together while making shortbread. This ensures that the shortbread will hold together, and when you bite it, it will have a ‘snap’ and then melt away, providing an enjoyable experience.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add this mixture to the butter and mix until it becomes soft and well-blended. Now, spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip or into a cookie press. Proceed to pipe cookies that are about 1 ½-inches across onto the prepared baking trays, leaving an inch of space between each cookie. If you want a flatter cookie that spreads, bake right away. However, if you want a cookie that holds its shape and sits up nicely, chill the piped unbaked cookies for 15 minutes before baking. Finally, bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes or until they just begin to brown lightly on the bottom. Once done, cool the cookies on the trays before storing them in an airtight container.