Christmas is Almost Here

I don't know about you, but every year I tell myself that I'm going to go Christmas shopping early but for some reason, it never happens. From experience, I've learned that if you don't go early, the more impossible it becomes to finding a good gift for someone. I can tell this happens to a lot of people, because the last few days before Christmas, the shopping malls always become a wreck, the store workers become a little less nice (because they have to clean up the wreck), and stressed people who are pressed for time like me frantically wander from store to store because they can't find anything to buy. It's the holidays people, and I think it's time for a change.

I'm doing things a little different this year and since I've discovered foodblogs, I feel that there's no better gift to give to show that you really care than something that is homemade. No, I am not talking about macaroni necklaces and picture frames, I'm talking about cookies! It's such an understatement these days to recieve something sincerely homemade like cookies. It's either I want this $500 bag or that $45,000 car. When did "I care about you" become equivalent to how much you'll empty you're bank account for that person. I'm sorry, I just have to rant about this subject because it makes me a little sad to think that people these days just don't appreciate the sincerity and the time that goes into baking something. Don't get me wrong, spending lots of money on the people you love is something that I would like to do to. If you've got a lot to spend, by all means, get something that shows that you care! But I would take a deliciously homemade cookie over an expensive gift any day, no matter how expensive it was to make it.

Hearst Castle Shortbread Cookies

Decorated shortbread cookies tend to focus more on the decorations than the actual cookies, resulting in an overly sugary cookie that tastes a little bit on the factory-made side. These shortbread cookies are buttery, light, and a perfect paring for the sugary icings that you might want to put on it. Adapted from The Castle Cookbook by Marjorie Collard and Ann Marie Lopez, I changed the recipe slightly and the picture is from 101 cookbooks. It makes 3 to 4 dozen small cookies. It depends on the size of the cookie. Lastly, be sure to use good vanilla extract, since there are so little ingredients, the vanilla should shine.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 pound of butter (slightly softened)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 vanilla pod (option)

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.

1. To make the dry ingredients, sift the flour, baking powder, and Kosher salt into a medium bowl. Mix lightly and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until light but not too fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat again, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and beat a little more to incorporate everything. Add the vanilla extract and the vanilla beans within the pod (split open the pod and scrape the interior with a paring knife and add to mixture). Stir for a few seconds, then add the dry ingredients in two additions. Scrape between each addition and mix untill the all the ingredients come together only. Don't overwork dough or mix for more than 30 seconds to 1 minute.

3. Turn dough onto countertop and cut into two pieces. Press each piece of dough into a round inch thick patty. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled. When dough is chilled, flatten each patty using a rolling pin into a 1/4- 1/2 inch thick sheet of dough. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes.

4. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are barely golden.