Guest Post: Chow and Chatter – Maple Shortbread Cookies

I am happy to present a holiday cookie recipe from my dear friend Rebecca Subbiah, RD LDN that we want you enjoy without guilt! For more from Rebecca, follow her on Twitter or check out all the great resources on her website.

***

When Michaela asked me to do a wee blog post about the holidays, I thought of this one. I made these simple maple shortbread cookies with my daughter in different letter shapes this time last year. I love this time of year and all the baking Americans do. There are hundreds of cookie and cake recipes handed down from generation to generation and the internet is buzzing with them–as long as you don’t go completely overboard with it. I feel this time of year is a great way to start or continue family traditions and have fun in the kitchen with little ones. We made these a year ago and I remember how excited she was making the letter J for her name. In the last couple of weeks she has learned how to write her name and I now have a little boy…magic.
Ingredients:

• 5 oz butter diced and a little extra for greasing
• 8 oz of plain flour and some for dusting
• 4 oz sugar
• one tablespoon of maple syrup

Method:

1. grease a baking tray with butter
2. sieve the flour and rub in the butter with fingers until it looks like bread crumbs
3. stir in sugar and maple syrup and make a firm dough
4. roll it out onto a floured surface to about 1 inch thickness
5. have fun making different shapes
6. bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden
7. dust with confectioners sugar

I think we will make some thumbprint cookies in the next couple of weeks or a chocolate yuletide log. Don’t deprive yourself of some treats this holiday season–enjoy latkes and cookies for Hanukkah or Christmas. Traditional foods in my home country of England are rich christmas fruit cakes, mince pies and Christmas puddings. I look forward to getting in the kitchen with the kids and making our own memories of cooking together and toasting the season :-)

What special things do you like to bake during the holidays?