Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepared a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

In a food processor or a bowl combine butter, flour, icing sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. With an electric mixer beat the mixture on medium speed until small crumbs form. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add in the sprinkles. Knead the dough until ball forms and place it on an even surface. For easier rolling, place the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll the dough into an even layer with a large rolling pin. Roll until the dough is about ½ inches thick. I like to add more sprinkles over the rolled layer and roll again a couple of times to press in the sprinkles even more. It’s just personal preference and makes a beautiful presentation.

Cut the cookies out with heart-shaped cookie cutters.

Transfer these onto the prepared cookie sheet and bake cookies for 17-18 minutes until the edges become lightly golden brown. Let cool completely on multiple wire racks if possible.

The cookies will not spread as much but you’ll still need to leave some space between them and cook these in batches. These melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies are just like from my childhood, they are made with real butter, soft, and a little crumbly.