Lemon Pecan Sugar Cookies
Christmas is 5 short days away and after the year we’ve all had, some merriment and celebrations are what we all need. This season will look different, it certainly does for us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t think about what gives our lives color and depth.
I was listening to Brene Brown’s podcast, Unlocking Us, and she was speaking with Emily and Amelia Nagoski about burnout and the stress cycle. It was a great interview and I highly recommend you listen to it. What caught my attention was an analogy they shared about being chased by a hippo.
“You manage to run away from the hippo because hippos actually don't have a lot of stamina. So you run all the way and somebody waves you in through their door and you you shut it and the hippo gives up and is like “nevermind” and just runs away and you look at this person who just saved your life and you feel this rush of exhaustion, and this joy to be alive and it seems like the sun is shining brighter and you love your friends and family and you're so grateful to be alive.”
It's easy to think that it is the hippo going away…that relieves the stress but its acually the person who opened the door.
It’s easy to overlook this simple concept that people are what relieve stress, not the absence of stressors. How many times have we learned that this year? When we first locked down, we were all terrified and unsure of what the future held. What did we do? We banded together and took care of one another. We wore masks, donated food, called friends, had zoom cocktail hours, zoom holidays, and stayed home. We did what people do in times of need, took care of each other. We are each other’s safe harbor in the storm.
My wish for you this holiday season, whoever you are, is that you recognize those safe harbors in your life. There will always be storms in our lives, there will always be the metaphorical hippo chasing us. All we can do is rely on each other and open the door to each other.
Lemon Pecan Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
1 ½ C sifted flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ C butter
1 C sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon lemon rind
½ c finely chopped pecans
Directions
Sift all the dry ingredients and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, lemon juice, rind, and pecans and mix until evenly mixed. Add half of the dry ingredients, mix, and mix the rest until a soft dough is formed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Shape the dough into 2 long rolls, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper, and chill overnight.
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375 and slice the logs into ¼ inch rounds. Place the cookies on baking sheets, dust with extra sugar if desired, and bake 8 minutes or until golden around the edges. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
