These striped disks are not only showy, but also yummy. I think shortcrust pastry is the most perfect and most delicious dough for cookies, other types of dough can’t be a match to it. The basic recipe for short pastry is based on a 3:2:1 ratio – 3 parts flour, 2 parts butter and 1 part sugar. As the amount of shortening is significant, kneading must not last too long, otherwise butter will melt. Quickness is very important to get an easy-to-handle dough.

Rolling the short pastry is another critical point, its flaky and sticky texture tries your patience. But the task is not impossible, especially if you use parchment paper (or plastic wrap). It’s much easier to roll out your pastry between two pieces of parchment paper or wrap than on a floured board. Just lift the sheets often, so that they don’t fold into the dough and create deep creases. And one more tip: if your dough is too sticky, flour both sides of the dough before you start rolling.