Fabulous Shortbread Cookies

Work cold butter with hands until soft and creamy, but not too soft.

Add sugar and mix.

In another bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Mix this into the butter-sugar mixture with your fingers until the particles cling together.

Gather the dough into a ball, kneading gently until it becomes smooth and soft, not too oily. Try not to handle the dough too much. The warmth from the hands melts the butter even more and over-develops the butter.

Pat the dough into a rectangle, 3/8-inch thick.

Mark out the pieces with fork tines.

Use a dull knife to score the dough into small 1 1/2 x 2-inch rectangular pieces.

Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and deepen the slice lines to remove from the pan.

Bake pieces on an ungreased cookie sheet.