Best Irish Shortbread Anywhere! recipe

1 pound butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour

Use a pastry cutter or a fork to mash everything together until crumbly. Knead by hand until everything forms a shiny ball. (This takes a LOT of kneading.) Flatten dough into a rectangular pan, or two smaller pans, and poke all over with a fork. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes (depends on whether you like hard or soft cookies). Cut it into bars, then bake for another 20 to 30 minutes at 275 degrees F.