Strawberry-Filled Shortbread Bars

Younger me used to be a very busy cookie baker this time of year.

Pies - you know - are my calling card, but cookies are a much smarter holiday bet. Everyone loves cookies. They’re right-size, portable, and shippable in a way that pies are not, a lesson I learned the hard way.

One year I sent a 6-pack of mini cherry crumb pies to a brother of mine. When I didn't hear anything, I called to see how the pies had fared. Were those pies? he asked. It looked like a crime scene on CSI. 

I love Christmas cookies as much as I ever have, but these days I pick just one, maybe two, to bake each season from a short list of favorites. That’s the one you get if you’re on my good list. 

A part of me misses the days and days I once devoted to cookie making. Baking six or eight varieties was a matter of pride. I loved seeing, or at least imagining the look of delight on my recipients’ faces when they opened my gift of cookies.

But that wasn’t the only thing I loved - I loved my own handiwork, and a bit too much. My fondness for buttery sweet cookies waged a constant battle with my willpower, and guess who usually won? 

So you see where I’m going with this? Inviting just one cookie to come stay for the holidays is a check and balance for the weak-willed among us. Less variety equals less temptation and calories. My waistline appreciates it and my cardiologist approves. 

If you’re guessing that these Strawberry-Filled Shortbread Cookies are this year’s pick, you get a gold star.  

I like that they’re simple enough to make that you still have time to knock out a batch this weekend. And I also like that they give me another opportunity to plug my book THE HARVEST BAKER, from which the recipe is taken. (In the summer I make them with a fresh strawberry glaze, but I’ve adapted the recipe here for a jar of strawberry jam.) 

If you happen to be one of the only remaining Pie Academy members who still doesn't own a copy of THE HARVEST BAKER, you can order one here through Amazon. Or - if you’d like a signed copy - send me an email at [email protected], tell me who the book is for and where to send it, and we’ll bill for you $19.95 through PayPal. Shipping is on us until 2020.  

The recipient probably won’t get it before Christmas, but it’s the thought that counts. 

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and I’ll be in touch again soon.

Ken Haedrich, dean of The Pie Academy