Cut down on the time and expense of making holiday cookies this season and enjoy the fun of baking with this simple shortbread recipe. It can be dolled up four ways: classic shortbread cookies, black and white cookies with royal icing and chocolate ganache, pecan studded Mexican wedding cookies, and dulce de leche alfajores.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
   2. Sift together the flour, salt and powdered sugar. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the flour and sugar a third at a time on low speed, then add the vanilla. Form the dough into a ball (or into a few balls, if making a big batch). Wrap the ball in plastic wrap, press into a thick disc, and chill in the fridge until cold, about 30 minutes. The colder the dough, the better the shortbread will be. Also, the dough freezes beautifully and keeps for future use.
   3. Combine the cinnamon and pecans on a plate. Take the chilled dough a tablespoon at a time, and roll it in the cinnamon/pecan mixture. Between the palms of your hands, form the dough into a ball, mixing in the cinnamon/pecan mixture throughout.
   4. Arrange balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing 1/2 inch apart. If the dough is no longer cool to the touch, place the tray in the fridge for a few minutes to let the dough set.
   5. Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom and just pale golden on top, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cookies 5 minutes on baking sheet. Gently toss warm cookies in powdered sugar to coat completely. Transfer coated cookies to rack and cool completely.

Crank up your cooking tip:

The colder you get the dough, the better the shortbread will be.