A Canadian Christmas Tradition

I don't know about the majority of people in Canada, but baking cookies is one of the biggest traditions we have during the holiday season. My mom and Nana used to bake tins of all sorts of types of cookies and froze them for the holidays. Then they would pull out little platters of them for dessert and tea throughout December. Now I do the same. 

The only thing that's different about my cookie baking is that I cannot decide on the list of cookies I should be baking. Any of my family could tell you Nana's list of holiday baking, but my list is ever changing. 

This year my cookie platters will have some of Canadian Living's new Cranberry Pistachio Tree Cookies, and as much extra effort as they are, I am very glad I made them. Just be sure to follow then recipe when it says to blanch and peel your nuts because it helps them stay a beautiful bright green. And learn from my mistake, you can actually buy shelled pistachios!

Cranberry Pistachio Tree Cookies - makes about 3-4 dozen cookies

2 cups shelled pistachios 

1 cup of butter

3/4 cup of icing sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

2 cups flour 

1 cup dried cranberries 

1. Blanch nuts in boiling water for one minute. Then rub them with a tea towel to remove their skins. Finally pulse them in a food processor until finely chopped. Set aside. 

2. Next, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour and until just combined and gently mix in the cranberries. 

3. Divide dough into three pieces, roll into logs, and cover with plastic wrap. Using your hands, gently shape the logs into triangle and then chill dough for about 30 minutes. 

4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then continue with preparing the cookies. 

5. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and unwrap it. Press all three sides into the chopped pistachios, ensuring all sides and bits are coated, and then slice into thin triangles. Place cookies on the parchment lined cookies sheet. 

6. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until they start to turn a little golden. Cool and enjoy!

The Canadian Food Experience Project began on June 7 2013. As we (participants) share our collective stories through our regional food experiences,  we hope to bring global clarity to our Canadian culinary identity.