Good shortbread is the quintessential holiday cookie and makes a buttery blank canvas to add all kinds of flavours and additions.

No matter what you do to the dough, there are just as many ways to shape it: Press it into a square pan, bake and cut into squares or bars (or a round pan for wedges), roll and cut shapes, or roll the dough into balls and flatten with a cookie stamp, meat mallet or the bottom of a glass before baking.