Raspberry Shortbread Cookies

I know it's still January, but I started thinking about what little treats I could make that would be appropriate for Hondo's baby class Valentine's day party.  The older kids you can be so much more creative with - rice crispie treats, fudge, all kinds of things.  But babies and one year olds? You don't want it to be too messy, you don't want it to be too full of sugar, you don't want it to have anything kids might be allergic too, it has to be soft and not a choking hazard.  Really, most of this stuff is just trying to look out for the teachers and make their life easier.

I have a couple of ideas, but this was my first go to, but I needed to give it a dry run to make sure it would end up and delicious in actuality as it was in my head.  And you know what, they totally were.

These are a gussied up version on the gold standard of cookies.  The shortbread cookie.  If there was a cookie evolution, this cookie was the big bang.  Its as basic as they come and delivers a lot of taste. Nothing but butter, sugar and four - the foundation upon which all cookie recipes are built.

The base of this recipe is what my Noni has been making forever - so probably out of an original Betty Crocker or home magazine from the 40's. I added raspberry flavoring, a hint of vanilla, some spinkles for color, cut them into hearts and then decorated with a dark chocolate and white chocolate zebra stripe. 

These are seriously so good and so soft and not too sweet.  They feel like the perfect Valentine treat for the little ones - but don't worry, I still have a few more ideas to flush out before then!

Raspberry Shortbread Cookies

Makes 2-4 dozen (depending on cookie cutter size)

For the Cookies:

• 1 cup butter, softened to room temp (very important)
• 3/4 cup sugar (I used granulated, but powdered is okay too)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 tsp. raspberry flavor
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbs each of pink and red sprinkles
• 1-3 tbs. shortening
• 2 tbs. butter, melted

For the Drizzle:

• 1 cup each of dark chocolate morsels and white chocolate morsels
• 2 tbs. shortening, divided

Preheat your oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar.  Really beat it until its super smooth and creamy - its basically the whole cookie.  Beat in the vanilla and raspberry.  Add the flour and beat until combined.  If the dough is too crumbly (it will need to hold together to roll out) add 1 tbs. of shortening at a time.  After each addition make sure you have given it a solid few minutes to beat in and see if its come together enough.

Once the dough is the right consistency, stir in the sprinkles.  Roll the dough into a ball on a lightly floured surface.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/2 inch thick, and cut out your cookies with your desired shape.  Place each cookie on the prepared cookie sheets.

Brush the tops of each cookie with the melted butter.  Bake for 12-18 minutes, until the edges are JUST starting to brown (the time will vary depending on the thickness of your dough and the size of your cookie so just watch carefully).  Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet.

While they are cooling, prepare the drizzle.  In two bowls combine the morsels with 1 tbs. each of shortening.  One at time, microwave each bowl in 10-15 second increments, stirring in between, until the morsels are melted.  When the cookies are cool, using a spoon, drizzle the chocolates over the cookies.  Let the chocolate set over night before stacking.

What I Learned As A Class Mom

Sometime ago, a good friend of mine was expecting her first baby and was hanging out at my house one afternoon.  I had just finished making cookies with my oldest and we were on to a different craft to kill some time.  We had spent most of the afternoon together, and at one point she said "I need to spend more time here, I need to learn how to Mom from you."

That has stuck in my head for a long time. How to "mom" - not how to cook, or how to teach, or how to craft, but instead that new verb seemed heavy with expectation.  Expectation that she, and so many other mom's had put on it to embody some kind of perfect mother.  Some kind of mother that she wasn't able to be already as she is - that there was some right way to do it that she didn't know.

Since the advent of Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and the million other ways that parents share and exchange victories, triumphs and crafting cohorts, it seems impossible to avoid the constant competition for parenting prowess.  It is the vehicle that is shaping what we, as parents, perceive as the "perfect mom" or the woman who can do it all.

Whether she stays home full time, or works full time, this internet culture has created the idea that there is some mom out there who is "doing it all" and that in case you aren't, there is a mom out there with a blog, ready to tell you her strategies to make it work.  The thing is, there is no more a perfect mom on Pinterest, any more than there is a perfect cookie recipe.

Perfection is all in perception.  This is what I learned when I became a class mom.

Now, before I go on, I have to disclose the fact that I happen to fucking love Pinterest.  I was one of the first ones on it - it launched when I was writing curriculum for a preschool of over 100 kids (after nearly 10 years of teaching).  I dove in head first - spending hours in my office scouring for new ideas for the kids at school and saving pins to perfectly sorted boards. I love to craft, I love to cook, and I love to photograph things, and oh yeah, I love my kids (both my students and my own).

When I had my oldest three years ago, I didn't feel unprepared or overwhelmed by all the knowledge I didn't have, like so many new moms can.  I knew about SIDS, the latest safety standards, different discipline methods, weaning babies on to food, sleep schedules, developmental milestones, the list goes on and on.  I didn't know because I'm a better mom, I knew because it was my job, I was a preschool teacher.  For almost a decade it was my job, 40 hours a week, to know the ins and outs of caring for little ones.

Despite that, when he started preschool at 18 months, I was suddenly crippled by high-school level insecurity like I was the new girl in the cafeteria - on his first day I felt like I was Cady walking the plank into the cafeteria right into the jaws of Regina George. The thing is though, I did that to myself. No one was mean or unwelcoming, I just walked around in my own cloud of perceived flaws for almost a year - only befriending the teachers because I felt like they were my peers instead of the other parents.

This year however, the director of our wonderful school, volunteered me without my knowledge or consent (haha) to be a class mom.  That changed everything.  When I walked over to the Head Mom's house for our first coffee-get-together, I felt like I was about to be devoured by Regina, Gretchen, and hell, probably Janice Ian too.  To my surprise, after sipping on a cup of coffee to ease my nerves, these moms were hilarious, and I just blurted out, "I'm so glad you guys don't suck."  I have a real knack for social grace, by the way.

Everyone laughed, a seriously relieved, knowing laugh.  Then another mom piped up, "Oh my god, me too!" and before we knew it, we were talking about how nervous we had all been and how glad we were to find that everyone was actually nice.  In the months since then we have all become pretty fantastic friends - and instead of forming a clique that makes us feel safe and included, because we started with that unexpected honesty, we seem driven to find ways to make all the parents at school feel included.  We talk about ways to open up lines of communication to new families to the school, how to reach the moms who just had babies and might be hermitting at home and missing out on things at school.  It is an incredible feeling.

None of this is what I learned though.  It's great, for sure, but not the most important part.

The most important thing is I have learned is the vast diversity in the idea of perfection.  This group of parents is one of the most diverse, and honest, groups of women I have had the privilege to be friends with.  No one of us is prefect and we are all insecure about our parenting in some way.  We all have an idea of what we think we should be in our heads, and its often something we feel we are lacking, when we are so quick to overlook what we are great at.

Nobody is perfect.

These moms are so many more things than moms; they are realtors, lawyers, florists, socialites, fashonistas, cooks, designers, doctors, politicians and hell, some aren't even moms, they are dads.  The things that make us all unique as people and valuable to society for different reasons, are also what make us different, unique and valuable parents. I learned that being a mom is what brings you together, but getting to know someone and having a conversation beyond your children and your parenting is what makes the difference.  I learned that while you may not end up liking everyone, the only way to know for sure is to make the effort and see whats there beyond Mom - have conversations about anything other than your kids, school, or parenting.  Become friends, and then the door is open to asking for advice, not doling out unsolicited judgement.

It doesn't really matter if you make dinner every night, or have an elaborate birthday party, or make things from scratch, breast fed or bottle fed, co-slept or sleep trained - none of those things are going to determine what kind of adults our children become.  Its more likely that what shapes who they become is the people around them and what they learn from them.  I learned that if you start looking at being friends with other parents this way, it can change a whole lot.

You don't have to be a "type" or fit into a cute label.  You don't need to be a hippie mom, or a crunchy granola mom, or a baby-wearer, or an attachment parent, or a lazy parent, or a working parent.  You can be all of those things, or none of them.  The point is that you learn from your experience and can share it with other moms by sharing your time - NOT your comments on some article online (unironically, like this one). 

We have a tendency to provide excuses for people to prevent judgement - articles that implore you to remember that "maybe that bottle-feeding mom couldn't produce milk" or that mom with a stroller "has a bad back" or that mom doesn't socialize because "she might have postpartum depression."  The problem with that type of thinking is that it inherently says that there is still a "right way" and that her choices aren't good enough, and that a mom needs an excuse to be accepted for simply being who she is.  So hear me on this, you don't need an excuse or a reason to be yourself and to parent the way you feel comfortable.

What we learned as a group, was instead of watching that new mom struggle at school with her baby seat and toddler, offer to hold the baby seat while she gets her older one strapped in - but don't do it while saying "You know, I wore all my babies and this was so much easier" - just offer to stand there, quietly, and then say Hi every day.  Then invite her to coffee.  Then be her friend. 

Raising kids does take a village - be part of it. Use these social opportunities to teach our children compassion, acceptance and tolerance - the only things in this world stronger than judgment.

Thank you to all the wonderful parents and friends, new and old, that show my family so much support and love.

Overnight Cranberry-Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Yeah, I just gained five pounds just looking at this picture too - blame Chanel.  This is yet another realization of one of her cravings.  When brainstorming over dinner one day, she said "oh my god, I really want a cinnamon roll so bad....with like cranberry...and orange" and I said, "yeah sure, let me pull out the left over cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving and throw that together for you...weirdo.  Oh, and I can't feed that to my kids for dinner...so, maybe another time."

I based the dough for the rolls on an overnight cinnamon roll recipe from Williams Sonoma that I used years ago, but I felt that it was a little too dense so I made some adjustments - well and then reworked it for the cranberry-orange thing too.

On that note, this recipe would work with any kind of preserves or jam that you like.  I was picking up food for dinner and came across this "too perfect for the moment" organic Superfruit spread (it has cranberries, blueberries, and cherries), so I used that.  However, you could use any jam or preserve you like including jellied-cranberry sauce. I still added a layer of cinnamon sugar, of course, and then topped these with a decadent whipped cream, orange and cream cheese glaze. 

These are as pretty as they are insanely tasty - you will not be sorry.  Well, your diet might, but your taste buds sure won't.  I think I am gonna make these a holiday staple, they may make it to the Christmas morning table next year.

Overnight Cranberry-Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12 Rolls

For the Dough:

• 1 (1/4 oz) packet active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (100°+)
• 1 tsp. + 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk

For the Filling:

• 5 oz. of jam of choice (I used a Cranberry, Blueberry, Cherry mix)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbs. ground cinnamon
• 1 stick butter, melted

For the Icing:

• 1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Juice of 1 orange
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• Zest of 1 orange, for garnish (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the yeast and 1 tsp. of sugar.  Add the 1/2 cup of water and let stand for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.  Once it is foamy, whisk it until smooth and then whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour.  Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes (it will be the consistency of a pancake batter, so it will pouf more than rise).

In the mean time, in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until creamy. Add the salt and the eggs, beat until combined.  Add 1 cup of the flour and beat well.  Switch the paddle for the dough hook.  After the yeast mixture has risen, pour that into the stand mixer and mix well.  1 cup at a time, add the remaining 3 cups of flour.  Knead on low speed until smooth (about 8-10 minutes), adding a little of the milk at a time if the dough is too dry. You want it to be smooth and slightly elastic but not sticky.

When the dough is done, remove it from the bowl and knead by hand for a few minutes more.  Roll it into a ball and return to the mixing bowl.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours, in a warm place.

Butter a 9 x 12 rectangluar or large oval baking dish, set aside.

After the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out on a floured work surface into a 16 x 12 inch rectangle.  I like the dough to be a perfect rectangle, so I use a knife or pizza cutter to cut it into a rectangle and then place the trimmings back on top of the rectangle and then roll it smooth just a bit more, I think it adds extra flaky layers, or you can just toss the trimmed dough.

Using half of the melted butter, brush the rectangle, leaving a 2-inch wide strip on a long side bare.  Then, using a small rubber spatula, spread the jam or preserves on top of the buttered dough. It should be just a thin layer, if you put too much it will squeeze out everywhere, just a little.  Then sprinkle the preserves with the cinnamon sugar, pretty liberally, but to your taste.

Starting at the long side covered with sugar, roll up the dough towards the bare side snugly, pinching the seam together gently.  Seam-side down, slice the dough into 1-inch thick slices, placing the slices, cut-side down in the baking dish.  Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining melted butter.

Cover the dish lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise until the rolls have doubled in size, about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350°.  Once the rolls have risen, bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes.

While the rolls are baking, make the glaze. With a hand mixer, beat together the sugar and cream cheese until smooth.  Add the cream, juice, vanilla and salt.  Beat until smooth.  If you prefer a thicker or thinner glaze adjust accordingly - add more sugar and cream cheese for thicker paste, add more cream or milk for a thinner glaze.

While the rolls are still hot, ice the rolls in the pan, sprinkle with orange zest - serve immediately.

Lemon Basil Broccolini

This is a super easy, quick green-veggie side dish.  As a momma, it is super important to me that my kids have a vegetable at every meal and this one is an easy go-to that adds a lot of nutrition and taste to their plates. It has also been a huge hit over the years with my vegan and vegetarian friends!

Lemon Basil Broccolini

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs. butter or olive oil
• 1 bunch broccolini
• Half a lemon
• 2 tbs. dried basil
• Salt and pepper

In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt your butter, or heat your oil.  Add the broccolini to the pan, season with salt pepper and half of the basil (or more to taste).  Using tongs, toss to coat. Juice the lemon half over the broccolini.  Toss again.  Season once more with salt, pepper and the remaining basil.  Continue to toss and saute until broccolini are desired tenderness.

Jalapeno Chedder-Jack Grits

Grits are not something I grew up with in New England, but I sure am glad I found them when I moved down here.  There are endless opinions and ways to make grits - lots of people think they know the "right way" but the way I look at it, there isn't one right way, but there is the right now.  When I made these, I was serving them with some delicious garlic baked shrimp and thought these flavors would be a perfect compliment.  That's whats so great about grits, they are a total blank canvas for flavor.  These come out creamy, lightly cheesy and with a hint of heat.

Jalapeno Cheddar-Jack Grits

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs. butter
  
• 3 tsp. minced garlic
  
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced very small
  
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced very small
  
• 4-5 cups of chicken broth
  
• 1 1/2 cups of stone ground grits
  
• 3/4 cup half and half
  
• 1 1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar
  
• 1 1/2 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
  
•  Salt and pepper
  

In a medium-large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter.  Add the garlic and saute for just a minute or two, until fragrant.  Add the onion and jalapeno, and saute for five minutes more. 

Add 3 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil, add the grits and stir, lowering the heat to a simmer.  Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.  After half of the liquid is absorbed, add another cup of chicken broth and the half and half. Cook until thickened, if the grits are still not soft enough, add a little more chicken broth until it is to your liking. Total cooking time should be about 15-20 minutes.

Turn the heat very low and add the cheeses, handfuls at a time, stirring to incorporate between additions. Once all the cheese is added, turn off the heat and continue to stir until all the cheese is melted and mixed smooth. Serve immediately.