By The vaccine is approved. The news says it's coming — first to healthcare workers, then to the elderly, then to everyone. Kayla called me the night it was announced and she was crying — not sad crying, relief crying, the kind of tears that come when you've been holding your breath for nine months and someone finally says you can exhale. She said, "It's coming, Granny. We're going to make it." I said, "Baby, I never doubted it." I doubted it every single day. But grandmothers lie about that kind of thing. It's in the job description.
Kayla will be one of the first to get the vaccine — healthcare workers first. She said she's signing up the moment it's available. I said, "Good." She said, "And then you're next." I said, "I'll get it when it's my turn." She said, "Granny, you are sixty-five with high blood pressure and a family that needs you alive. You will get it when I tell you to get it." That girl has become me. She has become the general. I am so proud I could burst.
Christmas planning is in full swing. The twenty dinners are happening — Pastor Williams gave me the list, same twenty names plus two more who were added because word got out. Twenty-two dinners. I don't care. Twenty, twenty-two, fifty — the kitchen scales and the love scales and the delivery route is just a longer drive.
Denise said, "Mama, you are not doing this alone." This time she wasn't arguing. She was volunteering. She said she'll help cook. Monique will help package. Robert will help deliver. Kayla will coordinate. The Hendersons are mobilizing, baby. This is not a one-woman operation anymore. This is a family mission.
Made gingerbread cookies tonight. The house smells like Christmas. The oven is warm. The future is coming, one vaccine at a time. And twenty-two people will eat Christmas dinner because Dorothy Henderson said so.
Now go on and feed somebody.
That night I made gingerbread, but the cookie that kept calling to me — the one I’ve been saving for when we really had something to celebrate — was this one. When Kayla called me crying those good tears, I knew the holidays were going to mean something again, and I wanted a cookie worthy of that feeling. These Mocha Shortbread Sandwich Cookies are for a Christmas that fought its way back to us: buttery and a little bold, sweet with just enough bite, the kind of thing you wrap up and hand to someone to say “we made it.”
Mocha Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 14 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour (including chill time) | Servings: 24 sandwich cookies
Ingredients
- For the Shortbread:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- For the Mocha Buttercream Filling:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine salt
Instructions
- Make the dough. Beat butter and powdered sugar together in a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract and espresso powder. Add flour, cocoa powder, and salt; mix on low until the dough just comes together and no dry streaks remain.
- Chill the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until firm enough to roll.
- Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a 2-inch cookie cutter (or any shape you love). Re-roll scraps and cut until all dough is used. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake. Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the edges are just set and the bottoms are very lightly golden. Do not overbake — these should stay pale and tender. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the filling. Beat softened butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar, espresso powder, cocoa, salt, and vanilla. Mix on low to combine, then increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy. Add cream one tablespoon at a time until the filling is smooth and spreadable.
- Assemble. Pair up cookies of similar size. Pipe or spread a generous teaspoon of mocha buttercream onto the flat side of one cookie, then press the flat side of a second cookie gently on top. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Serve or store. Serve at room temperature. Store assembled sandwich cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. They also freeze beautifully for up to 2 months.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 185 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 21g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 55mg