Preheat oven to 350F (175C).

Cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.

Gradually add the flour and vanilla extract to the butter mixture.

Continue mixing until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

The dough may not completely stick together, and that's perfectly fine.

Lightly flour a clean surface and roll the dough out to approximately 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness.

Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes from the dough.

Carefully transfer the cut-out cookies to an ungreased baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake in the preheated oven for 11-14 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown.

Watch closely to prevent burning.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once completely cooled, store the shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their crispness.

Optional: Melt chocolate and dip the cooled cookies for added flavor and decoration.