Simple Shortbread Cookie (A Visit to The Farm: Reconnecting and Remembering)

I have a deep fondness for shortbread cookies. This may have something to do with the fact that there were not many homemade cookies in our house growing up. (Except for my grandmother's cookies at Christmas. Once in a great while my mom would churn out a batch of her Mexican Wedding Cakes and since these happened to be very much in the shortbread genre, I think my shortbread fondness grew from here.) I also remember shortbread "packaged" types making an appearance now and then. When they were around, a lot of cookie cravings were solved digging into the stale packages of grocery brand cookies left on top of the fridge--barely sealed. Somehow this made them better--stale shortbreads. Go figure.

I know this day is a somber day for many. I would guess most of us are very somber today. As it should be. As it will be for the rest of my life anyhow. I very much remember that day nine years ago. What street I had crossed, what radio station I heard Tom Brokaw's voice breaking through on, what my heart felt like, how my eyes looked at the city skyline as I was only a few blocks from my office's downtown parking garage--and how I could not fathom what a scene like that might look like here in the Midwest. I just had no idea. I reached my office where the TV had already been pulled out into the conference room for monitoring the reports. I looked on in a corner with my hot coffee in my hands, my heart racing already without the caffeine. I asked questions. To no one. To everyone. We all stared. We shook our heads. Then finally I let out some very angry remark. I called my husband at his office. We both shared how we'd heard, where we were. What to do next. I left for home soon after, changed clothes. Turned on the TV, transitioned from my high-heeled, Ann Taylor-like office garb into my pajamas, curled up in a fetal position in front of the TV waiting for my husband to get home. Of course I cried. I missed my mother. That was nine years ago and it feels like it was yesterday.

I visited a very dear friend and family-like person this week. He is my best friend's father. He's always treated me like his second daughter. He lives about a hundred miles away. Sadly for me, my best friend lives too far away. I have a horrible fear of driving, but for some reason, I felt it was time to haul out to the farm--fear be damned. It had been a long time since I last saw him. He is in his seventies and lives on over 300 acres of land, tending to it by himself. He is amazing as is his daughter. I loved every minute of my too-short visit. This is me and one of the horses. I had a horse growing up. I would love another one.

She is beautiful and a gentle giant--saved from a horrible ending. Thank god my best friend's father has a huge heart.

I thought I'd share this shortbread cookie with you all today. It's so simple. It's so very comforting. It is perfect for an evening snack. It is perfect with hot tea. I think simple is about all I am capable of today.

Simple Shortbread Cookie

(Adapted from Cooking Light, "Quick Baking" Special Edition 2010)

1 stick unsalted vegan margerine

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup Florida Crystals sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (lightly spoon flour into measuring cups, then scrape top with a knife)

1/4 cup corn starch

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean (cut vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape into sugar mixture)

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly spray a 9 x 13 cake pan with non-stick baking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch and powdered sugar and salt. In a bowl of a heavy duty mixer or a large mixing bowl, blend together the margerine, oil and sugar. Mix until completely blended and mixture is almost smooth--a few margerine lumps are okay. Add a third of the flour mixture to the margerine/oil mixture, blending slowly (or in a stand mixer, just keeping it on "Stir"). Continue adding the remainder of the dry ingredients by thirds until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Don't overmix this. Once the ingredients are somewhat uniformly mixed, stop mixing. Spread the dough out into the 9x13 pan, bringing some of the dough up the sides of the pan (you won't have a lot to pull up the sides--just a bit of a "lip" on the edge is fine). Press the dough down evenly (the original recipe says to use a layer of plastic wrap to make this easier and I found this to be true). Bake cookies for 25-30 minutes--just until the edges of the dough begin to brown a bit. Remove from oven. Set pan on a cooling rack, allow to cool for about ten minutes. Then, after ten minutes, slice your cookies carefully into squares. Allow to cool completely before removing to an airtight container for storing.