So I’ve been making shortbread the same way for years. I’d never thought anything of it before, but this Christmas is my first as a vegan. Well, there was a challenge! How could I recreate a classic shortbread without the cruelty of butter?

It occurred to me that everything else in a classic shortbread is totally vegan friendly. No eggs, no milk, just the three classic dry ingredients in every shortbread: flour, powdered sugar, and corn starch. So all I had to do was find something to replace the butter, and what better to do it than vegetable shortening?

I find that shortening behaves the most like butter in this recipe, and it yields a texture that’s nearly spot on to the original.

So without further ado, let’s get into it!

To  make these melt-in-your-mouth delights, you’ll need:

• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup corn starch

optional flavour additions:

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 1 tsp almond extract

optional decoration options:

• raw almonds
• sprinkles
• pre-made sugar decorations
• candied cherries

How to make ’em:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add shortening and flavour extract if using. Whip with a hand blender until smooth and fluffy.
3. Sift in all dry ingredients and continue to whip with hand blender until the dough comes together.
4. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Push down lightly on each dough ball, placing decorations in the centre.
6. Bake for 14-15 minutes, remove from oven, and allow to cool for 10-20 minutes.
7. Eat and enjoy!