Whipped Shortbread Cookies: Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 300°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. A lower temperature prevents the delicate fats from melting too fast.
2. Place the 227g of cool butter in the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat 3 minutes until pale and creamy.
3. Sift in the 60g of powdered sugar and 5ml of vanilla extract. Listen for the motor to stabilize as the sugar incorporates.
4. Turn the mixer to medium high and whip for exactly 10 minutes. This is the critical step where we build the air lattice structure.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 190g flour, 60g cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. Inhale the clean, wheaty aroma of the sifted flour.
6. Turn the mixer to the lowest setting and slowly add the dry mixture. Mix only until the last streak of flour disappears.
7. Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. If the bag is too full, the heat from your hands will melt the butter.
8. Pipe 1 inch mounds onto the prepared sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Observe the sharp ridges formed by the piping tip.
9. Bake for 15 minutes until the bottoms are just barely golden and the kitchen smells like toasted cream.
10. Allow the cookies to sit on the hot sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Wait for the cookies to set so they don't crumble upon touch.