Beat the butter and sugar until combined. Add the vanilla bean paste and little water (just 1 tsp to begin with) and mix again.
Fold the dry ingredients (flour + salt) into it in 3 intervals.
Then using your hands combine it into a dough. Do not knead just press together. If you find that the dough is crumbly and not coming together only then add water otherwise simply skip it.
Take the dough and flatten it. Cling wrap and refrigerate it for 15 to 30 mins.
Sprinkle the worktop with some flour and roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Using the cookie cutter of choice cut the rolled out dough.
Place the cut out cookie dough in a baking tray lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for second time again for 15 to 30 mins.
Line the base of the air fryer wire basket with a parchment paper. Transfer the chilled cut out dough into it a batch of 4 to 5 cookies and bake at 160°C for 7 to 9 mins until the sides are golden brown and the centre is pale. No need to preheat the air fryer.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing.
Video
Notes
Do not beat the butter and sugar for too long. You do not want to incorporate air into the batter which causes the cookies to puff while baking.
Add water a little at a time. If your dough becomes too wet it would not roll and cut into shapes properly.
If your butter is too soft you might not need water at all.
Do not skip chilling. It prevents the cookies from spreading while baking.
Never overcrowd the air fryer. You can bake about 4 to 5 in one batch. This gives the cookies some space to spread and bake evenly.
Use the back of a flat silicon mold or a fondant smoother to press the puffed-up cookie. This will work only when you have made fresh cookies that are still warm. So do it immediately after they are out of the air fryer.
To make cleanup easier, line your air fryer basket with parchment paper before filling it with cookies. Then just remove the parchment paper when you're done!
Always cool the cookies completely before storing or else they won't remain crisp.
You can use the same recipe and try out different flavours like almond extract, peppermint, etc in place of vanilla, try some add-ons like chocolate chips, tutti fruity, chopped nuts etc for some variation. Or try and use different shapes of cookie cutters depending upon the theme of choice and then decorate it with some royal icing.
Consider checking my eggless sugar cookie recipe post to see my failed attempts at making classic sugar cookies.