Jesse Morrison-Gauthier, The Common

“Shortbread is my favourite Christmas cookie — I love the mouthfeel, you put it on your tongue and it dissolves,” says Jesse. The secret to a well-made shortbread cookie?

“Creaming the butter and sugar for a long time.

“This is a piped shortbread, a NAIT baking recipe from when I went there. Bake with two baking sheets together to prevent dark bottoms and turn them halfway though the baking time. Use a cookie press or a pastry bag with a fluted tip to pipe the cookies.”

• 500 g butter
• 125 g icing sugar
• 500 g cake flour

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cream butter, add icing sugar and scrape down. Add flour in four additions, creaming between each addition. Pipe on to a cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes. Makes 36 cookies.

Variation: A personal touch, make a lavender sugar to dust cookies with.

Blitz 2 T dried lavender flower in a coffee grinder. Sieve it with ¼ cup each of icing sugar and regular sugar. Dust on cookie when they come out of the oven.