Making holiday shortbread

It has somehow became a tradition for me to make holiday shortbread.  Maybe because I enjoy eating them too??!  Well, I know the boys really enjoy them too so I bake plenty but mostly to give away to neighbors and also the teachers and staff at school:

But this year I also had to make some vegan ones for Bobby and also a friend of mine.  Look... vegan butter!!! It's made out of cashew cream, coconut oil, and sunflower oil among other things:

And surprisingly the texture and color came out very similarly to regular shortbread.  Amazing! It does taste a bit different from those made with regular butter but I have to say, if you've never tasted real buttered-shortbread before, you probably wouldn't know the difference!

Charlie loves to help me in the kitchen and doesn't mind getting his hands dirty:

Graham would rather watch and just eat.  I make them eat over the sink so they don't make a mess. Ha ha!  I think Graham is truly enjoying this one :-)

And then, after watching so many cooking shows - the boys are starting to critique:

https://youtu.be/IFQryDwC_sE

Such little stinkers!!!  Well, maybe next year I can "retire" and just have them make the cookies ;-P