• In a large bowl, add butter and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until combined and creamy.
• Add baking soda and almond flour; stir with spatula and knead with hands towards the end until a ball of dough forms.
• Divide dough into two balls, place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap, flatten into discs, wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or in the freezer for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• Remove chilled dough from the fridge (or freezer) and unwrap. If very hard, let it warm up on the counter for 5-10 minutes. Dust the surface and rolling pin with all-purpose flour or coconut flour (see notes). You will need quite a bit as this dough is wet. Roll the dough 1/3 inch thick or even thicker (I love tall shortbread).
• Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut out cookies and transfer to previously prepared baking sheet (loosening with small spatula if necessary), leaving 1 inch in between. These cookies do not spread a lot. Combine the dough scraps into a ball, roll it out, cut out cookies and repeat until you run out of dough. Repeat the same step with the second disc of dough.
• Bake for 7 minutes. Remove cookies from the oven before any visible browning occurs. You do not want that with shortbread - they should be of light color. Remove from the oven and let them cool off first on a baking tray for 30 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack to cool off completely.

Chocolate dipped shortbread (optional)

• In a small pot or bowl, add chocolate chips and oil. Melt on the stovetop or in a microwave in 20 second intervals, whisking until smooth and melted.
• Dip each cookie (it should be completely cooled off) in melted chocolate half way, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper, and refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.