I didn’t grow up in a household where baking cookies was a thing. My immigrant parents ran a Chinese restaurant in Hamilton so they worked hard all week. How I envied my friends whose mothers were bakers and during the holidays, I used to eat so many kinds of cookies at their house – pretty sugar cookies, gingerbread houses, and melt-in-your mouth shortbread cookies. I was determined that when I grew up and have children, I would be one of those moms, offering their little friends my cookies. But first, I had to learn how to make them. I asked my mom about cookies when I was quite young. She said to ask my Grandfather because he used to work as a baker on the trains travelling across Canada. At the time, he was already in his eighties (or maybe not, hard to tell when you’re a child), not that approachable, or talkative. But I went to him, notebook in hand, to ask him about cookies. He said he had a shortbread recipe he could share. Great! I didn’t know what shortbread was, but I was very excited about all the cookies I would be making. Then he recited from memory his recipe: 10 lbs butter, 20 lbs flour, 5 lbs sugar . . . I may be exaggerating. I don’t remember the exact quantities, but you get the idea. I had never made anything before so it never occurred to me that he baked cookies for a whole trainload of people, and I needed to do some math conversion. Needless to say, it was many years before I attempted Shortbread cookies.

Twenty years later, I met my husband. I kept hearing about the amazing shortbread cookies made by his mother, Jessie. Apparently she used to make dozens and dozens of shortbreads with a cookie press, that she gave out to everyone at Christmas. All his family and friends agreed that she made the best they’ve ever had. Unfortunately, she passed away just a few months before I met my husband, so I never actually tried them, and so far, no recipe has been found, although a few people have made claims to having it. For years I’ve tried baking every shortbread recipe I came across. I wasn’t trying to compete. I just wanted to continue the tradition. My husband and his family would say that it was good, but it wasn’t quite . . .  IT. So the search continued. Finally, Janet, a family friend (probably took pity on me), told me to stop searching. No matter how good my shortbreads were, they will never live up to a memory. Just make new memories. So, I am sharing this recipe I’ve been using for most of my married life. It’s not his mom’s recipe, but it’s easy, delicious, and versatile. An annual tradition. I hope you will enjoy making new memories with it.

I was determined that when I grew up and have children, I would be one of those moms, offering their little friends my cookies.

judy lee

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