Making New Christmas Traditions -Pistachio Almond Shortbread
Christmas traditions. A friend asked us about our Christmas traditions. I was puzzled and quickly thought we didn't have any. Ahh, but we do. Our friend Is Indian too, with strong roots and traditions from India. Her question was not an insensitive one—instead, an honest question about how our family traditions have changed.
Growing up, Christmas was taboo in our house. We didn't have a tree. We didn't have presents. We were Muslims in a sea of Christian traditions we did not celebrate. I would listen enviously as kids would come to school after the holiday and talk about all the presents they had received. What did you get, kids would ask. I would shrug and meekly say that we don't celebrate Christmas.
Quite often, friends would ask if I was ready for Christmas. For the longest time, I was baffled by the question. I was never sure how to answer. I used to say we don't celebrate Christmas in an effort to stop any further questions. It would leave me feeling like something was wrong with me. But after much thought - I've thought of something closer to the truth. Christmas is low-key at our house. We don't exchange gifts but have our own traditions.
Slowly, I've come to love the holiday season. A season of thinking of others, of coming together and celebrating. These are common themes among all cultures. Themes that highlight our similarities and not our differences. And so, over the years, our family does have Christmas traditions. Whether we like it or not, we have adopted customs that complement our own Indian traditions. They do not detract from our experience, only enhance it.
And Poet and Flower love Christmas. They love our new traditions. We finally have a Christmas tree. A tall one that glows blue, green, and orange and casts a lovely shade of color over the family room. They love to help hang the ornaments. They can hang cute globes of color with no fear that they will shatter or break. They simply bounce. The kids laugh as they fall, climb down and then hang them back up. We have ornaments they have made by hand, marking each year. Ornaments collected from local Indiana artists and ornaments from friends. It's a tree that reminds us of all that we have and how lucky we are.
And what would the season be without Christmas movies? Before the kids, G and I would happily watch Die Hard. One may argue that it's not really a Christmas movie, but it is. Snow, holiday parties, and Bruce Willis all together in one holiday classic. Poet and Flower are too young for it, so we will watch Elf. I love it as Will Ferrell gleefully yells Santa-Aaah and gleefully embraces the holiday. Poet's favorite is Home Alone. We will all curl up on the couch and watch together.
And so we do have Christmas traditions. They may not go back for years, but they are our own.
Pistachio Almond Shortbread
Shortbread is a classic dessert. Made from simply three ingredients, butter, sugar and flour, it's endlessly versatile. I love this recipe from King Arthur Flour. Use confectioner's sugar instead of granulated sugar for a more tender cookie. Drizzle with chocolate and pistachios, it's the perfect decadent little cookie.
Adapted from King Arthur Baking
Serves 4
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 8" square pans with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.
In medium bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and extracts. Then beat in the flour. If it is too dry and does not come together, add up to a tablespoon of water.
Divide the dough in half and press into each of the pans. Smooth it out evenly.
Gently prick the dough all over to keep it from puffing up during baking.
Bake until the edges are golden brown and the top is lightly golden brown.
Turn it out onto a cutting board and cut it into squares. You want to cut the shortbread while its warm otherwise it will crack and crumble.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Stir until it is smooth and evenly melted.
drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.
Cookies will keep for a week in an airtight container.